Don't Think, Just Do It: Year 3
by I am the Girl Who Lived
Summary: Threequel to Don't Think Just Do It.Read the 1st two first.Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban and is after Harry.Max has the feeling that shes seen this man before but can't remember.The Dementors aren't helping anyone either. What will happen? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone and welcome to Don't Think, Just Do it: Year 3!**_

_**Without further ado, here is the first chapter!**_

_**Enjoy**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

**_Sirius Black's POV_**

Azkaban was torture. That was the only word I could think of to describe this place. The cells were tiny, and the beds were made of stone. You weren't provided blankets, and seeing as the prison was in the middle of the Atlantic sea, it tended to get chilly every now and then. The food looked as if it had been found at the bottom of the sea (probably was) and tasted like dung.

But there were two things that were worse then all these things. Dementors and the guilt. The Dementors would hover outside my cell every minute of every day, making any single thought that ever had a chance of entering my mind disappear and be replace with something horrible. The guilt that ate at me every minute was something that could rival the Dementors. It was all my fault that James and Lily had been killed, and now I didn't know where Harry was, who was looking after him, if he was alright- I didn't even know how old he'd be now! Being in this place made keeping track of time impossible.

When I slept at night, I was plagued by nightmares. Memories from my time at Hogwarts, with James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Buthese were different. They all shouted at me for killing James, and when I'd tell them that James was fine, I'd see James lying on the ground, eyes wide open and a look of shock and anger on his face. Just like he had been when I found him and Lily.

One night, when I was staring at the wall blankly, there were footsteps outside my cell. I turned my head and saw Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, looking awkward and twirling his bowler hat in his fingers. "Good evening, Minister," I said calmly. I wasn't like the others in here. I can still keep my mind.

"Yes, Black. Good evening...I'm just doing a routine check is all. Er, how have you been keeping?" he said, looking extremely awkward. Of course, he was speaking with a man who killed twelve people with one curse.

I gave a high, cold, emotionless laugh. "How have I been? Really Minister? Thats what you ask me," I laughed again, and my eyes traveled down Fudge's hand. He was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, and seeing it cleared my mind slightly. I would be able to see the date, and from that, I would know how old Harry was now. Stupid reason, I know, but what else did I have to do?

"Minister, do you mind if I have that Daily Prophet? I do miss the crosswords," I lied easily. Something I learned to do at school, when we would get in trouble for pulling pranks. Fudge remained silent, and I prompted, "That is if you are finished with it. If not, I understand."

Fudge looked like he regretted answering me. "Oh very well Black. Here you go." He slipped the newspaper in between my bars, and I caught it easily. Quidditch skills never die. Of course, I played Beater, but I also played Seeker if I was needed to. "Thank you Minister. I assume that it is today's paper?" I said, and attempted a smile, something I haven't done since I was arrested and put in here without trial.

"Yes, yes it is today's...Well, I must leave now. Other to check on, you know. I'm sure I'll see you again. Er, goodbye," Fudge said, giving me a fleeting smile, then walking away. I couldn't help grin at the Minster. He was such an old tosser...

I flipped over the paper and looked at the front page. It was the eleventh of July, 1993. It took me a few minutes to do the math, but finally I figured out that Harry was going to be thirteen in a few weeks. Then, the date seemed to actually penetrate my mind.

I've been in here for twelve years...twelve years...

I shook my head. No point brooding over that. I was in here until I died.

I gave a genuine smile as I thought of how Harry would be entering his third year of Hogwarts. I wonder what house he was in... I hope it was Gryffindor, I thought. I wondered whether he strongly resembled James, just like me and Lily said he would, but with her eyes...

I wondered if he knew who I was.

I stopped these thoughts. I had them often, and usually I ended up more depressed after thinking of them for hours on end. I looked down at the paper and saw that there was large picture of a big family, standing outside pyramids.

The article said,

_MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE _  
><em>Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. <em>  
><em>A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank." <em>  
><em>The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children, and three of the six children they have adopted, currently attend, and one starting this year.<em>

I smiled. I remember Arthur and Molly, and there weren't nicer people you would find. Before everything happened, I heard that Arthur wasn't getting that much money, and that they were getting really poor. This was something they really deserved.

I scanned the photo. There was Arthur and Molly standing in the middle, beaming, waving, and they all had flaming hair. Molly had a little girl resting on her hip, who clearly had blonde hair, so she was one of the adopted children. There were twins, who both had the same trouble-making grins me and James would have. There was a tall boy, who was clearly Bill, and another boy who had a Head Boy badge pinned to his hat.

Next to the Head Boy was a tall boy with blonde hair, another adopted child. He had his arm over a girl who had tawny colored skin. Next to her was a young boy who looked like he could be the little girl on Molly's hits brother. There was another boy, with dark hair and dark clothes, even in the heat from Egypt. He was smiling slightly, and was standing next to another Weasley boy, and he had his arm slung around another Weasley child, this time a girl. Standing behind her was-

I nearly dropped the paper. It can't be. It was impossible. She had been killed many years ago-

Despite this, I grabbed the paper and looked at the picture again.

The girl was tall, with long, curly, dirty blond hair and big brown eyes. She was laughing, looking happy, and every few minutes she would walk around the picture to slap the pale, blond boy. But, it couldn't be her, she was taken long ago...

My sunken eyes drifted to the boy in front of her. It was only then that I noticed the rat on his shoulder. I sneered, but then saw something odd about the rat. It was missing his front toe from its paw. With an idea in my mind, I stared at the rat for a long time.

It was him...It was Pettigrew...He was alive, living in his Animagus form with this family. And if he was with them, then he was with her. The idea angered me, and I roared in frustration.

I re-read the article, and found something interesting. _Five of the Weasley children, and three of the six children they adopted..._

I looked through the picture again. The five Weasley's were obvious. The Head Boy, the twins, the boy with the rat and the girl... The adopted kids were obvious as well. The dark boy, the pale boy, and the African- American girl, and then...her.

I knew what I had to do. If rat-boy was going back to Hogwarts, with the rat, then I was going to have to go there too. I looked at the boy again. He looked about thirteen, which meant he would be in the same year as Harry, if not the same House.

Anger that I had only felt once in my life before was not flowing through my veins. It gave me hope, and determination, but it wasn't a happy feeling so the Dementors couldn't take it away from me.

There was only one thing I could do, and I was going to do it whatever it took.

I was going to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Max's POV<strong>_

"Molly! Molly, come here!" Mr Weasley shouted around the house. I raised my head and saw him standing at the back door, looking flustered and slightly frightened. I stood up from the couch and left the book I was reading, _Hogwarts, A History, _and went over to him. "Mr Weasley, she's out feeding the chickens. Is there something wrong?" I asked.

He frowned, and looked out into the dark night. Without answering my question, he walked further into the house. There were bags and trunks everywhere, and it took a few minutes to weave our way around them. We only returned from Egypt this morning, and Mr Weasley had to go to work straight away for some urgent Ministry thing.

We spent the last month in Egypt will Bill, the Weasley's eldest son. He lived there because he worked as a curse-breaker for the wizards bank, Gringotts. We were all so delighted when Mr Weasley won the _Daily Prophet _Annual Draw. Seven hundred galleons! It was something the Weasley's really deserved, as they were extremely kind but very poor. And last year they adopted six children on top of the seven they had already.

"Mr Weasley...Is something wrong?" I asked, watching as he sat in the armchair by the fire, and put his head in his hands. "Oh, Max. You have no idea," he said, sounding thoroughly depressed. I didn't say anything, just waited for him to continue.

"There's been a breakout in Azkaban," he said finally. My eyes widened, and I stammered, "B-but...Who? How?" Azkaban was the wizard prison, and no one has ever escaped from there. Rarely, people got to leave if there time there was up, or if they were found innocent. The gamekeeper, and our friend, from Hogwarts, Hagrid, had to spend a few months there last year, but was let out before the school year was over.

"It was Sirius Black. No one knows how he did it," Mr Weasley said. I frowned. "And who was he?" I asked, fearing the answer. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who. Complete maniac, if you ask me. He killed twelve people with the one curse before he was arrested. He went away laughing." He looked disgusted.

"One curse? Whoa, he must be really powerful," I gasped. Mr Weasley nodded and said, "I was a few years above him in school. He was a very intelligent young man. No one expected that he would go that way."

Then, the door opened, and Mrs Weasley walked in. Mr Weasley bounded to his feet and ran to her. "Oh, Molly dear. You'll never believe what happened today," he said, hugging his wife. "What is it, Arthur?" she asked, looking scared. Mr Weasley whispered in her ear and Mrs Weasley shrieked. "Sirius Black! Oh, Arhur!"

She looked around the room, and when she only saw me, she asked, "Where are the children?"

"They went to play Quidditch out back. I wanted to finish this book, so I didn't go," I said. "Max, will you go get them please? Tell them its urgent," Mrs Weasley said. I nodded and walked out the door towards the paddock at the back of the Burrow. To lazy to walk, I took off my jumper and left it on the ground.

Then, I wiped out my wings.

Yes, I said wings. I was born and raised in America, in Death Valley California in a lab called The School. Thats where I met the reset of my flock. Fang, who was going to be thirteen in a few days, Iggy, who was thirteen on Halloween, Nudge who was eleven in September, Gazzy turned seven last month, and then Angel, who was five.

At the School, it was run by scientists we called whitecoats. They performed extremely painful experiments on us all, resulting in us all having wings. Also, we all had enhanced senses. When we were around eight, they tried giving Iggy night-vision, but they made a mistake, and when he came back, he was blind. We were all kept in cages, which is why we all have sever claustrophobia.

When we were ten, a whitecoat called Jeb Bathelder kidnapped us all from the School, and took us to a house in the Colorado mountains, and he was like a father to us all.

On my eleventh birthday, we got a visit by a strange looking man. He had a long, silver beard and wore long robes. This mans name was Albus Dumbledore, and he was the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He told us that we were all witches and wizards. That year, me, Fang, and Iggy went to Hogwarts as we were the only ones old enough to go. There we met three of the best people ever.

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Harry had an interesting past as well. When he was a baby, the darkest wizard ever, Lord Voldemort, showed up at Harry's parents house and killed them. He tried killing Harry too, but couldn't do it, and his powers were destroyed. Now, he was known as the Boy Who Lived, and he as famous in our world.

I flipped my wings out, and took a running start. I flew into the air, and after a few short minutes, I reached the paddock where the Weasley's and the Flock were flying around.

"Guys! Back to the house! It's urgent!" I shouted. Without asking, they flew to the ground and either dismounted their brooms, or folding in there wings. We all walked back to the Burrow, Fred carrying the sleepy Angel in his arms. "What's going on?" Ron asked running to catch up with me. "Er, I'll leave that to your parents to tell you."

He looked worried, but kept silent. We reached the Burrow, and walked in the back door. Mr and Mrs Weasley were sitting at the kitchen table, their heads together, whispering quickly.

"Mum, Dad. What's wrong?" George asked. "Sit down, kids," Mr Weasley said seriously. We all sat in various seats around the room. Mrs Weasley stood up, and explained that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban and was now on the loose. Even Fred and George didn't have any smart comment to make.

We stayed up late that night, listening to all the rules and restrictions Mr and Mrs Weasley made. Mrs Weasley even wrote them all down and pinned them to the wall. Right before we went to bed, Mr Weasley called, "Remember! Were going to Diagon Alley tomorrow and staying in the Leaky Cauldron! You can pack everything tomorrow, but we need to get up early!"

I groaned. I forgot we were going to Diagon Alley! The only thing that made me exited was the fact that I get to see Harry and Hermione tomorrow. We got a letter last week saying that they'd be there tomorrow, so we all decided to go as well. Also, Mrs Weasley said she was going to get me and the twins brooms because we were on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and they were able to afford it now.

We all woke up early the next morning to the smell of eggs, sausages and toast. I got changed quickly into dark jeans and a red top and black converse and I grabbed my leather jacket before running down the stairs. I was the last one to get up (no surprise there) and we all have everything eaten within ten minutes, and then we all ran back upstairs to pack our things for Hogwarts.

I filled up my trunk and school bag with the spellbooks I'd be needing this year, then filled them with Muggle clothes and our uniform. (a black skirt, white top, long black robe, red and gold scarf, and a jumper with the Gryffindor crest on it)

After twenty minutes, everyone was standing in the sitting room, ready to leave. Percy refused to talk or even look at me and the twins. Might have something to do with the fact that we were about to lock him in a pyramid in Egypt...Oh well, didn't bother me.

We were handed a handful of grey powder that I recognized as Floo Powder. One by one, we stepped in the fireplace, and we shouted, "Leaky Cauldron!" and disappeared in a rush of green flames. Once everyone was in the Leaky Cauldron, Mr Weasley went over to the desk to the landlord, an old and toothless wizard called Tom.

He checked us all in, and me and Ginny were sharing a room so we all went upstairs and put our bags in the room. Together, we went back downstairs and Mr and Mrs Weasley handed us some money so we could go to Diagon Alley.

"Max, come here," Mrs Weasley called. I walked over to her, frowning. "What broom would you like?" she asked. "A Nimbus two-thousand?" she said. I gaped at her. "A-a Nimbus two thousand? Are you serious?" She beamed and nodded.

"Of course dear. There not that expensive anymore, and Fred and George said they don't want a new broom, that there's are fine so we can get that for you." I squealed and hugged her. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" I repeated. She laughed and said, "Alright dear. Look, Ron, Fang and Iggy are waiting for you over there, go with them."

I hugged her again, and ran over to the boys, who were waiting for me by the door. I smiled at them, and pulled out my wand. I tapped a brick on the wall, and the wall opened to reveal Diagon Alley.

_**Hello! Sorry this chapter is so bad, its hard starting off a new story. The next chapter will be much better, I promise! **_

_**Welcome to year 3! I hope this story is good! **_

___**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**Once again, sorry this sucked, it will get better :)**_

__**_-Rac_****_h ;)_**


	2. Why He Escaped

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**How are you all? Here's chapter 2!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

Together, the four of us walked through Diagon Alley, while Mrs Weasley brought Nudge to get her things for first-year, stopping at shops where we needed to buy things. We were walking around for about an hour before we heard someone shouting, "Max! Ron! Fang!" I wheeled around, already knowing the voice. "Hermione!" I shouted, and ran to my best friend. I hugged her, then she went on to hug Ron and Fang.

"What about me?" Iggy whined. "You didn't hug me, or call my name!" he sounded like a child whining about not getting any sweets. "Do you hear something?" Hermione asked, not even looking at Iggy. He looked deeply offended, but then Hermione started laughing and she hugged him too. "Your such a drama queen!" she said.

Iggy pouted, then said, "Why are you so brown?" It was true. Hermione was really tanned, and it suited her. "I spent most of the summer in France. Did I not say that in any letters?" We shook our heads, and she said, "Oh...Well, I spent most of the summer in France!"

Like us, Hermione had most of her stuff. The only thing we all needed now was our new books. I was taking two new subjects this year, Divination and Care of Magical Creatures, so we needed books for that, and we also needed a new Standard Book of Spells, and a new Transfiguration book.

We made our way to Flourish and Blotts, and I asked, "Why are you on your own?" She smiled, and you could see her large front teeth. "I'm not. My parents came with me, and then we met your parents, Ron, and now your dad is talking with them about Muggle things. They gave me the money and I went off on my own to get them. And, seeing as its my birthday in a few weeks, they gave me extra so I can get myself an owl or something."

We entered Flourish and Blotts, and the manager came up to us, counted how many of us there were, and said, "Are you all third-years in Hogwarts?" we nodded. "How many of you are doing Care of Magical Creatures?" Silently, not knowing what was going on, the five of us raised our hands. The manager gasped, and went very pale.

"Five of them..._five!"_ he muttered as he walked over to the window. He pulled on gloves, then picked up a long stick, and made his way towards about fifty cages by the window. He opened one page, and snapped, "Back! Back!" I was wondering whether he had gone crazy until I heard biting and growling from the cage.

I stepped forward, and looked at the cages properly. Inside them were huge green and leathery book with two small eyes and a snapping mouth full of sharp little teeth. "That's our book?" Hermione asked faintly. I've never seen her scared of a book before, so this was something new. "Yes, I'm afraid. They're terrible! I'm never going to stock them again!"

Finally, after getting bitten many times, the manager finally managed to get five of the books out. I held mine firmly in my hands as hew went off to get our other books, but the book kept snapping and trying to bite my face. Without knowing what else to do, I pulled the belt off my jeans and wrapped it around the book. It was still fidgeting a lot, so I whacked it against the nearest shelf of books.

It stopped moving, only letting out the occasional grunt and groan. When we had our Divination book (Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky) and Standard Book of Spells Grade 3, and the new one for Transfiguration, we payed and waited for Hermione, who was taking more classes then anyone, so she needed more books then us.

With nothing else to do we went around Diagon Alley, looking for Harry anywhere, but he was no where to be found. Ron dragged us to Ollivanders so he could get a wand with the money his father gave him, and we had to wait for him to get one (which took a long time). When he finally got one, he payed and we left, and started looking for Harry again. Giving up, we headed to the ice cream shop, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, and sat outside.

Suddenly, Ron bolted upright, a wide grin on his freckly face, and said, "Did I tell you what Harry did?"

"No," we all said, fearing the answer. "Really? I didn't? Are you sure?" Ron said, looking puzzled. "Yes, were sure, now tell us what he did!" I snapped. Ron looked at me, and said, "No need to get shirty, Max." I rolled my eyes, and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry Ronald. Now what did he do?"

"Right, well, a few night ago, I was going down to the kitchen to get some water, and I heard Dad and Mum talking. I wasn't trying to listen, but I couldn't help it, they were kinda loud. Anyway, Dad was telling Mum about getting a call from work about a bit of underage magic, and he needed to be ready in case he was needed. Mum asked him what happened, and Dad told her that it was Harry. And you'll never guess what it was he did," Ron said, laughing.

When none of us said anything, he said, "He blew up his aunt!" There was a minutes silence, then we all started laughing. There were tears going down my cheeks, and I was finding it hard to breath, but it was all worth it. "You mean the bony, mean looking one we saw last year?" Iggy asked, still laughing.

"No, it wasn't actually his real aunt, it was his uncles sister, so there not related, some woman called Marge Dursley. But still! That's brilliant!" Even Hermione was shaking with silent laughter. "Do you know why he did it?" I asked, wiping the tears away. "No. All Dad said was that he lost control and blew her up!" There was more laughter, and then Hermione said, "Its strange that he can still loose control and blow up someone! Thats not something we should be doing now, after two years at Hogwarts."

"Still bloody brilliant!" Fang said, smiling. "Not really, Fang. I'm amazed he hasn't be expelled," Hermione said.

I rolled my eyes again, and looked over my shoulder. Through the throng of people, I saw a taller, skinny, black-haired, green-eyed boy walking around and looking into shop windows. It was Harry Potter.

I stood up, beaming, and not caring how loud I'd be, I started yelling, "Harry! HARRY!"

He turned his head towards my voice, and started smiling. He ran over to us, and after giving everyone hugs, sat down in the vacant seat. "Took you long enough. We've been looking everywhere for you," Iggy said, feigning exhaustion. "Yeah, you really look like you've been working hard, Ig," Harry said, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Did you really blow up your aunt?" Fang asked, leaning forward on the table. "Er, yeah. I didn't mean to though. I just sort of...lost control," he said, looking a bit guilty. "What happened?" I asked as Ron, Fang and Iggy howled with laughter. Harry looked at me in surprise and I said, "Something had to of happened to make you lose control."

Quietly, he whispered, "She was kinda, er, insulting my parents." His eyes flashed as he said it. "Well then you did the right thing," I said, smiling.

"It's not funny!" Hermione was shouting. "He could of been expelled!"

"Actually, I'm surprised I wasn't," Harry said. "Honestly, I thought I was going to be arrested. Does your dad know why Fudge let me off?" he asked Ron. Ron shook his head, and Iggy said, "Because its you?" Harry smirked, and said, "Where are you staying tonight?"

"In the Leaky Cauldron. Were all going to Kings Cross together in the morning," Fang answered. "Great!" Harry said. "So, you get all your books?"

"Yeah, got them there. What is with those biting books?" I said, kicking the bag which had mine in it. "I dunno. Hagrid sent mine to me. They can't be that dangerous if Hagrid sent one to me...right?"

"Could be. You know Hagrid. The sales guy nearly fainted when we said we wanted five," Iggy said, smiling.

"Look at this, Harry," Ron said, pulling out his new wand. "Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. Oh, and of course, Hermione bought most of the book shop," Ron said, indicating to the bags next to Hermione's chair. "How many classes are you taking, Hermione?" Harry gasped, looking at the bags.

"Only a few more then you," she said, absently messing with a string on her jumper. "There all my books for Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it. Your doing Muggle Studies? Are you forgetting something here Hermione?" I asked, and she just just looked at me, confused. "There is the fact that you were, oh, how do I put this?" I said, tapping my chin in fake thought.

"Oh yeah! _You were raised my Muggles!"_ I said, looking at my best friend as if she was crazy. "Well, yeah, but I thought it would be interesting to learn from a wizards point of view!" she said, her eyes glistening with the thought of learning. After Hermione, I was the best in our year, but I wasn't going to do this much classes! I'd probably just get Hermione to teach me it all herself, seeing as she knows more then most teachers in the school.

"Are you going to have a social life this year, Hermione? Or even sleep or eat?" Iggy said, looking through all the bags at her feet. Hermione ignored him, but she did push her bags away from him.

"I still want to get an owl. I have ten Galleons left," she said, looking through her purse. "The magical creature shop's over there," Harry said, pointing up the street. "Maybe I should get Scabbers checked out," Ron said, pulling the old, fat grey rat from his pocket. On the contrary, Scabbers wasn't that fat anymore, and he seemed more grey then before, even though there were lumps of fur missing from various parts of his body.

"What happened to him?" I asked, not sounding caring or sympathetic. I never liked Scabbers, and Ron knew that. "He didn't like it in Egypt. Been like this since we came back," he said. We payed for our ice cream and went to the magical creatures shop.

We went inside, and my heart started pounding. Everywhere I looked in the shop, there was an animal in a cage. Everything in them were screeching, and banging on the bars, and making loud noises. I tried blocking it out, but I couldn't.

I watched as Hermione walked around where all the owls were, and Ron walking up to the counter, with Harry beside him. I looked at Fang and Iggy, and they looked as stressed as I felt. I moved closer to them, and said, "Can we wait outside?" They nodded mutely, and we opened the door again and stepped out onto the street.

"Well...That was awkward," I said. Fang and Iggy smiled, and Fang said, "You know what that means?" I shook my head.

"It means were not over it. If we can't see an animal in a cage without thinking about the School, and having to run out of the place, were not over it. We need to do our best to get over it, and stay strong," he said. Iggy nodded, and said, "Agreed. We need to be stronger then that for the younger ones." I sighed. "Your right. We need to get over this. Were not going back there, are there's nothing to be afraid of."

What happened to him?" I asked, not sounding caring or sympathetic. I never liked Scabbers, and Ron knew that. "He didn't like it in Egypt. Been like this since we came back," he said. We payed for our ice cream and went to the magical creatures shop.

We went inside, and my heart started pounding. Everywhere I looked in the shop, there was an animal in a cage. Everything in them were screeching, and banging on the bars, and making loud noises. I tried blocking it out, but I couldn't.

I watched as Hermione walked around where all the owls were, and Ron walking up to the counter, with Harry beside him. I looked at Fang and Iggy, and they looked as stressed as I felt. I moved closer to them, and said, "Can we wait outside?" They nodded mutely, and we opened the door again and stepped out onto the street.

"Well...That was awkward," I said. Fang and Iggy smiled, and Fang said, "You know what that means?" I shook my head.

"It means were not over it. If we can't see an animal in a cage without thinking about the School, and having to run out of the place, were not over it. We need to do our best to get over it, and stay strong," he said. Iggy nodded, and said, "Agreed. We need to be stronger then that for the younger ones." I sighed. "Your right. We need to get over this. Were not going back there, are there's nothing to be afraid of."

The three of us stacked our fists together, them taped them each (_I can't believe I left the handshake thing out of the story! I feel so stupid! Anyway, here it is now -Rach) _This was something the flock had made up when we were back at the School, and I couldn't remember the last time we did it. With everything that has happened over the last three years, I don't think we've done it since me, Fang and Iggy started Hogwarts. Now Nudge was starting, and Gazzy and Angel will have no one from the flock but themselves.

Before another word could be spoken, the door of the shop banged open, and an irritated looking Ron ran out, and without looking at us, ran down the street. Not long after that, Harry came out after him and sprinted after Ron. I went over to the shop, and without looking at the cages, saw that Hermione was stroking a big, fluffy ginger cat with a squashed face.

"Strange looking owl," I smirked, walking over to her. "Ha ha," she deadpanned. "His name is Crookshanks. He's been here for ages, no one would buy him," she said. After a moments hesitation, she looked at the witch behind the counter, and said, "I'll take him. How much?" The witch seemed shocked, and she stammered, "E-eight Galleons, miss."

"Max, can you take him for a minute?" Hermione asked, and without waiting for an answer, she put the cat into my arms. She pulled out her purse and gave the witch eight gold coins, then took the cat back. "Will you be taking the Tonic?" she called after us.

"Oh, Ron's Rat Tonic," Hermione said. She started rooting for her purse again, but I said, "I'll get it." I payed for the tonic, then asked, "Why did Harry and Ron run off?"

"Crookshanks scared Scabbers, and he ran out of the hole in the door, so Ron and Harry went after him."

As we walked back to the street, Ron and Harry were walking towards us. Ron was furious that Hermione had gotten the cat, but Hermione couldn't care less. I handed Ron the Rat Tonic, and ignored the look he was giving Hermione and the cat.

"Get over it Ron. She wanted the cat, so she got the cat," I said when we had walked out of earshot of Hermione. "That cat nearly scalped me!" he hissed. "Yeah, key word being _almost. _I'm sure he didn't mean it, Ron. It's a cat, he saw a rat and wanted to chase it. Basic cat behaviour. Get over it."

We went into the Leaky Cauldron, and saw Mr Weasley sitting at the bar, reading the _Daily Prophet. _"Oh, hello, Harry," he said, standing up and shaking Harry's hand. "And Hermione! How are you?" he shook her hand as well. "Good sir, thanks," she said.

Mr Weasley put the paper down, and the face of Sirius Black stared back up at us. "He still hasn't be caught?" Harry asked. "No, but the Ministry's doing everything they can. He's a tricky one, Sirius Black," Mr Weasley said absently.

After that, Mrs Weasley walked towards the bar, with Ginny, Nudge, Angel and Gazzy, Percy, and Fred and George trailing behind her. "Oh, hi Harry! How are you? Was your summer good? It was your birthday a few weeks ago, wasn't it? Happy birthday! Did you get anything nice? It was my birthday a while ago. Don't you just love birthdays? There always fun! I've only had a few birthdays where I actually celebrated it, 'cause try and imagine a birthday party in the School- awkward! We should try that though, it would be interesting-" Three guesses who that was. Thankfully, being used to it by now, Ron covered her mouth with his hand.

She kept talking, even though it was muffled, but she didn't seem to mind. After a while, we just sort of blocked it out. Percy walked straight up to Harry, with his hand outstretched and his Head Boy badge gleaming on his chest. "Why, hello Harry," he said pompously, shaking Harry's hand. Behind his shoulder, I saw Fred and George whispering to each other, looking at Percy. This should be good...

"Hi Percy," Harry said, his face going slightly red from trying not to laugh. "I assume your well?" he went on. I rolled my eyes and walked next to Harry.

"Why, yes, Percy, young Harry is doing swimmingly," I said in a posh accent, much like Percy's own. Seeing this, George elbowed Fred, and they both came over.

"Harry, old boy!" cried Fred, getting a few odd looks from some people in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Absolutely spiffing to see you...completely marvelous!" George said, smirking as he shook Harry's hand. Percy was scowling, and Mrs Weasley snapped, "Boys, that's enough!" although, she was smiling slightly. This only made Fred and George more determined.

"Ah, mother!" Fred called, grabbing her hand. "How corking it is to see you!"

"You simply look lovely! Tell me, how do you keep your hair so-"

"I said that's enough!" Mrs Weasley shouted, leaving all the shopping onto a chair. I saw one large, long parcel with all the bags, but I didn't say anything. "Hello, Harry dear. How are you?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she pointed at Percy, and said, "I'm sure you've heard the news? Second Head-Boy in the family," she smiled proudly, and Percy threw his chest out again, making sure the light hit the badge.

"And last," Fred whispered in my ear. I snorted, hoping Mrs Weasley didn't hear that, but of course, she did.

"Well, I've noticed they haven't made any of you two prefects," she snapped. George retorted without thought, "Why would we want to be? We actually want to have fun with our lives."

Me, Ginny, Nudge and Angel all laughed, thinking of the time over the summer in Egypt when the twins had come into the room we all shared, and pretended to be Percy, prancing around the room, making weird remarks.

"You two want to make better role models for your sisters!" Mrs Weasley snapped, clearly beyond irritated. I felt my face heat up like it always did when we were referred to as they're kids.

"The girls have other, and better, brothers to set an example, Mother," Percy said, looking at the other girls, but not me. Ah, well, you win some, you loose some...As far as I'm concerned, I just won some.

He then said something about changing for dinner, then disappeared from sight. I sighed, then looked at Harry. "Me and the twins tried to lock him in a pyramid in Egypt, but Mrs Weasley saw us. He hasn't spoken to any of us properly since. Thank Merlin."

* * *

><p>We all had dinner that night at the same table. How we all fit at the table, I'll never know. It was a great dinner, and very enjoyable.<p>

"How are we getting to the station?" Fang asked. "The Ministry's bringing cars over to bring us," Mr Weasley said. "Why are they giving us cars, Father?" Percy said, and I resisted the urge to throw my fork at him.

"Isn't it obvious?" I said. Everyone stared at me, and I noticed that Mr and Mrs Weasley looked up a bit too fast and sharply. "It's 'cause of Percy. They want to give him a special ride, 'cause he's Head Boy. Didn't you say that before, Perc? You said you would special treatment from everyone, because your Head Boy?"

Everyone laughed, except for Percy and Mrs Weasley. Percy straightened his back, and said in a dignified voice, "Why are they sending cars, Father?"

"Doing me a favor, seeing as I haven't got a car anymore," Mr Weasley said, shoveling potatoes in his mouth. I smirked at Ron, Fang, Iggy and Harry. It was there fault that Mr Weasley didn't have a car. They had missed the train last year, and had taken the magical, flying car to Hogwarts. Right now, it was roaming around wild in the Forbidden Forest.

"Ron hasn't even packed yet, Mother," Percy said. I glared at him, and so did Ron. "You better do that after dinner, Ron. Were all leaving early in the morning, and there won't be time."

Ron glowered at Percy, who was oblivious and kept on eating his food.

After dinner was over, we all felt full and sleepy. We all made our way up the stairs, and after mumbled goodnights, went into our rooms. I was sharing with Ginny, and we were next to Percy and Ron's room, where we could hear furious yelling.

"What is wrong with them now?" I growled. Ginny giggled, and shrugged. She started getting ready for bed, so I left the room and went over to Ron and Percy's room. The door was open and I leaned against the door frame, looking at the scene in front of me.

Ron and Percy were standing up on opposite sides of the room, screaming at each other.

"It was right there, Ron!"

"Well, I haven't touched it!"

"I took it off for polishing, it was on the table-"

"I never touched it!"

I was joined by Harry, who leaned against the other door frame, and together we watched the two boys yelling at each other. When we saw everything we wanted to see, Harry asked, "What's going on?" Harry Potter- the peace keeper.

"My Head Boy badge is gone!" Percy yelled. "And so is Scabbers' Rat Tonic!" Ron cried. "I reckon I left it downstairs-"

"Ron, your not leaving until I have my badge back!" Percy screeched. How that boy had a girlfriend, I will never know.

"It's alright, Ron," I said fast, seeing Ron's anger bubbling in his eyes, "Me and Harry will look for the Tonic. Right, Harry?"

"Yeah, yeah. Of course."

We were halfway down the stairs, still listening to the brothers shouting at each other, when we heard another pair of voices arguing. I recognized the voices as Mr and Mrs Weasley. Me and Harry shared a hesitant look, not wanting to eavesdrop on their fighting, but the sound of his own name made Harry go closer to the door where there voices were coming from.

"There's no sense in not telling Harry," Mr Weasley said. "He does have a right to know, but Fudge insists on treating Harry like a child." Mrs Weasley huffed, and said, "Honestly, the truth will terrify him Arthur. Do you really want Harry going to school with that over his shoulders? How do you think that will make you feel?"

"I don't want to tell him to make him feel miserable, Molly. I want him to be on his guard, and know whats out there! He'll be safer knowing! You know what him and the others are like, 've ended up in the forest twice! I'm telling you, he'll be better off knowing!"

"But, it's not like he's dying Arthur-"

"That's not the point, Molly! They all say that Sirius Black is mad! Completely mental. But he is still smart enough to get out of Azkaban, so what will stop him getting into Hogwarts? It's been three weeks, and no ones seen him, not even a Muggle. Don't mind what Fudge is saying, were no where closer to catching Black then we are to getting a cure to werewolf bites. All we know is that he's after-"

"Harry will be safe at Hogwarts-"

"We thought that no one would be able to escape Azkaban. We were wrong about that."

"We don't even know whether he's after Harry!" Mrs Weasley was starting to sound desperate. There was a loud bang that sounded like Mr Weasley had banged his fist against the table.

"Molly, how many time do I have to tell you? Fudge didn't want it in the _Daily Prophet _but he went to Azkaban the night Black broke out. The guards told him that Black had been talking in his sleep, the same words..._He's at Hogwarts...He's at Hogwarts..._ Black wants Harry dead, Molly. I think he reckons that by killing Harry, he will bring back You-Know-Who. That was the night Black lost everything, when You-Know-Who was destroyed."

There was a long silence, and I risked a look at Harry. He looked pale, and grave, but not scared. He wasn't even scared that there was a murdering maniac trying to kill him...I sure know how to pick my friends...There all insane.

"Very well, Arthur. Do what you want. But your forgetting something. Dumbledore would not let anything happen to Harry. You know that right?"

"Of course I do. And he knows it as well. He had to be asked if the guards of Azkaban could be stationed around the school. He doesn't like the guards."

"But if they save Harry-"

"Then I will never say another word against them," Mr Weasley said, sounding exhausted, but sincere. "It's very late, Molly. We should go," he said. I heard the sounds of two chairs going across the floor, and then two sets of footsteps.

Harry grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the bar and out of sight. The door opened, and Mr and Mrs Weasley walked up the stairs.

We found the Tonic under the table where we sat for dinner, and without a word, we went up the stairs. Harry's eyes were distant, and it was obvious why.

Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban just to kill Harry.

_**CLIFFHANGER! :O**_

_**Hey! Sorry that it took so long to update, I've been really busy! Here's the second chapter, and I hope it was good! :)**_

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	3. The Guards of Azkaban

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Here's the third chapter! Hope it's good, and please review!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

I was woken early the next morning by Ginny jumping up and down on my bed, yelling "Wake up! Wake up!" What a considerate alarm clock I have. "Merlin, Ginny! I'm awake, I'm awake!" I shouted. I opened my eyes and saw that Ginny was already dressed, and her red hair was wet from a shower. "How long have you been up?" I grumbled, sitting up and checking the time. It was eight o'clock!

"Since six!" she said happily. "But Nudge has been awake since half four." I rolled my eyes, nodding. That was something Nudge would do, especially today, with her starting Hogwarts. "Mum told me to wake you up now so you could have a hot shower. Not much hot water left."

I grumpily made my way to the bathroom, and started my shower. Unless you haven't noticed, I'm not a morning person. My shower lasted about fifteen minutes, and I quickly dressed in a black top with the Bon Jovi logo on it, and denim jeans. I pulled on my new converse (purple with black streaks) and dried my hair.

When I went back into my room, it was empty. I walked to the bed, going to put my clothes in my trunk, when I noticed something on my bed. A long, sleek, shiny broomstick. My jaw dropped. It was a Nimbus Two Thousand! Mrs Weasley actually got me a Nimbus Two Thousand! I set on the bed, holding it in my hands. It was beautiful, and I fell in love with it instantly.

Next to the broom was a piece of parchment, and I recognized it as the Hogsmeade permission form. It was sighed at the bottom, and I put it away in case I lost it.

I couldn't stop smiling as I walked down the stairs, my mind wandering back to the broom upstairs. I sat at the table with the others, and heard Ron saying, "Sooner we leave the better. Percy's blaming me of spilling tea on the picture of his girlfriend..."

When they saw me, Harry indicated to pull in closer. So, he was going to tell them what we heard last night...Brilliant.

_**This is serious, Maximum. Not something to make a joke out of. You could miss all the important**_** details.** The Voice is my head said. Yeah, I have wings, and a voice in my head. I'm perfectly normal, right?

_Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go back into your hole, _I thought. As always, there was no reply. "I have something to tell you," Harry said in a serious voice. His eyes flickered to me as he spoke. "Go on," Fang urged. Harry was going to go on, but we were interrupted by Fred and George, who wanted to talk to Ron about making Percy mad.

After they finally left, Iggy asked, "What were you saying?" Harry looked around, seemed to know that it was a bit crowded to tell them that there was a murder on the loose, and he said, "I'll tell you later. On the train."

With everyone busy getting trunks, and owl cages, down the narrow stairs, we had no time to talk to each other. Hermione was holding a wicker basket that was hissing. "Its alright Crookshanks," she cooed, like it was a baby, "You can get out on the train."

"No he can't!" snapped Ron, pointing to his breast pocket, that was quivering slightly. Before Hermione could comment, Mr Weasley opened the door, and said, "The cars are here. Come on, Harry. You come first." Harry shared a look with me, clearly saying, _Wonder why I'm going first?_

He grabbed Hedwig's cage, and his trunk, and heaved them out of the door. I followed him, and saw three old-fashioned cars, one in front of the other. Harry was standing behind one, putting his trunk into the boot. I put mine in, then went into the back of the first car beside Harry. Like Mr Weasley's car last year, it was magically bigger on the inside, then it looked like on the outside.

We were joined by Ron, Gazzy, and, to mine and Ron's disgust, Percy.

The trip to King's Cross was really boring. We didn't talk much, and even when we did, Percy would say some stupid remark that would just irritate me and Ron. Sometimes, I wished I could just punch him, but Mrs Weasley would probably kill me.

We finally reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare, and we all got out of the car as fast as we could. Nudge came out of the first car, babbling like always, and asking anyone who would listen what House would she be in. I could tell she was itching to get her uniform on, but she couldn't do that now. She'd have to wait until we were on the train.

The drivers of the cars helped us with all our trunks, and even wheeled trolleys over for us. They shook hands with Mr Weasley, and got back into the cars and drove away.

I noticed that Mr Weasley stayed extra close to Harry going through the station. We finally stopped by platform nine and ten. Nudge was bouncing with excitment. "Right, we'll go in pairs. I'll go first with Harry." He gripped Harry's shoulder, and together they went straight through the wall, disappearing. Nudge's eyes went wide, and she looked like she was about to go to the best place in the world. Well, she was.

I went next with Fred. He gave me a cheeky grin, grabbed my shoulder, and dragged me forward. I went so fast, that Freedom screeched in his cage. I felt bad about keeping him in a cage, and this was the only time when I really did- when we were going to and back from Hogwarts.

Me and Fred appeared at the other side, on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. There were hundreds of people here, either students or parents, or grandparents. Mr Weasley and Harry was over by the train, looking for compartments. After, Ginny and Percy appeared behind us. After another five minutes, everyone was on the platform, looking for compartments. Nudge was looking around everywhere, taking everything in. So were Gazzy and Angel, and Gazzy said, "Now, I really want to go to school."

Iggy walked over to Gazzy and whispered something in his ear. Gazzy started grinning, then he was laughing. He hugged Iggy around the middle, and said, "You promise?" Iggy nodded, and hugged him back. "Of course I promise, Gaz." I was a little worried about what he promised Gazzy, but it was probably that he would make some part of the castle blow up.

One by one, we exchanged hugs, and when Angel started crying a bit, that was when Mr Weasley said, "Harry, a quick word?" Harry followed Mr Weasley over to the other side of the station, and I bent down next to Angel. "Listen, Ange. I want you to stop crying, okay? Were all going to be alright, and I want you to be strong. We'll see you soon, alright? I love you, Ange." I hugged her again, and she hugged me back.

"Max, you know that Harry thinks about you a lot? And you think about him as well. Do you love him?" Angel asked. This caught me off guard, and I said, "Love him? I love him as a friend, Angel. Nothing more. Were friends. Now, go back to Mrs Weasley, and if Gazzy blows anything up, I want you to write me a letter." She nodded, and ran over to Mrs Weasley and took her hand. Gazzy took her other hand, and I turned around and pulled my things onto the train.

Angel really needed to stop reading everyone's minds...

Mr Weasley was still talking to Harry, and when I looked at the clock, there was only two minutes to spare. Mrs Weasley was shouting at them to hurry up, and knowing that they wouldn't, I went back to the platform and got Hedwig's cage and Harry's trunk and put them next to mine.

When the bell sounded, and the train actually started moving, Harry ran over to me, and jumped onto the train. We waved and waved to Mr and Mrs Weasley as the train moved away and away, and when we couldn't see them anymore, we picked up our trunks and whatever else we had, and went to find a compartment.

Me, Hermione, Fang, Harry, Ron and Iggy walked down the corridors of the train for a long time, trying to find an empty one. All of them were packed. The twins were sitting with they're friend, Lee Jordon, Ginny was with her friends and Nudge was already with other first-years, and there was no where for us to go.

Finally, we found an empty one at the very end of the train. There was only one person there, but he seemed to be asleep, and whoever he was, he wasn't a student, but a grown man. Hermione eased the door open slowly, and put her trunk onto the luggage rack without making much noise. I did the same, then sat beside her by the window, across from the man who was asleep.

The stranger was wearing extremely shabby looking robes, and he looked very ill. Maybe the sleep would be good for him. "Who do you think he is?" Iggy asked. "Professor R.J Lupin," Hermione said smartly. We all stared at her.

"I know your good Hermione," I said, "But no one is that good." There were snickers around the compartment, and Hermione rolled her eyes, something she probably learned from me. "It says it on his case!" she said, pointing at the luggage rack over his head. And, there it was, written on the trunk that looked like it was only just hanging on.

"Wonder what he's going to teach," Ron wondered. "Kinda obvious," Fang said. "Defense Against the Dark Arts. Only post open." That was Fang. A man of many words.

We've already had two teachers for that subject, one of them was the person who killed Jeb. "Hope he's good," Iggy muttered. "Looks like one curse will finish him."

"What did you want to tell us, Harry?" Ron asked.

Slowly, with the odd comment from me, he explained about everything that happened last night. Then, he told us what Mr Weasley had just told him. He told Harry about Black being after him, and that Harry shouldn't go after Black, no matter what he heard. When he was finished, Fang was looking pale, Iggy looekd scared, Ron looked green, and Hermione was covering her mouth with her hands, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry. You need to be careful! Don't go looking for trouble!" Hermione cried.

"I don't look for trouble. Trouble usually finds me," Harry said, smiling darkly. "They'll catch Black though," I said, confidence in my voice even if I didn't feel any. "Even Muggle's are looking for him."

"What's that noise?" Fang suddenly said, looking around. There was a small, whistling sound coming from somewhere in the compartment. "It's coming from your trunk, Harry," I said, looking at the trunk over his head. He stood up, and pulled down his trunk and opened it. He looked around in it, before pulling out some horrible socks. "Nice socks," I smiled. He ignored me, and dug his hand into the socks, and pulled out the Sneakoscope Ron gave him for his birthday.

Hermione pulled the Sneakoscope from Harry's hands, and said, "Does this really work?"

"Doubt it," Ron said. "It was a cheap one, and started going haywire when I was tying it to Errol's leg." Hermione frowned, turning it around in her fingers. "Were you doing anything wrong at the time?" Ron looked at her, then said, "Well, I wasn't meant to be using Errol. Not meant to use him for really long journeys."

"But it back in the trunk, or it will wake him up," Harry said. Hermione threw it in, and then Harry put it back.

"Looking forward to going to Hogsmeade?" Iggy asked. We all nodded, except Harry. "What's wrong Harry? You don't want to go?" Harry shook his head. "Oh, no, I do. But I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"My uncle didn't sign the form. And neither did Fudge," he said, sounding deeply depressed. "Couldn't McGonagall sign it?" Fang asked, looking sad for his friend. "How could she? She's not my parent, or guardian," Harry said.

"That would be awkward..." Iggy said, a faraway look on his face. Hermione started undoing the straps on the basket Crookshanks was in, and Ron yelled, "No! Don't let it out!" It was too late, though. Crookshanks went from the basket, and straight onto Ron's lap.

He shoved Crookshanks away, and I saw the lump in Ron's pocket tremble. "Ron, don't!" Hermione squealed angrily. Ron's retort came short when Professor Lupin stirred slightly. We watched him, but he went back to sleep.

The train went on, and the sky outside slowly started turning dark as the rain started battering against the windows. There were students running up and down the corridor, and around one o'clock, the dumpy old witch with the food cart wheeled past, and asked, "Anything from the trolleys?"

While Iggy and Ron ran up to buy food, I asked, "Should we wake him up?" nodded towards Professor Lupin. Hermione nodded, and pushed me closer to him.

"Er, sir? Professor? Lupin!" I said, trying to wake him up. But he wouldn't move. "That's alright, dear. If he's hungry when he wakes up, I'll be up the front." She handed the sweets to Ron and Iggy, and when we said we didn't want anything, she moved on.

Having a new teacher in our compartment did have an advantage. Around three o'clock the door opened and in came three people. Three, very annoying people that I wanted to throw out the window.

It was Draco Malfoy and his two troll-like bodyguards, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Even they're names were stupid (_**not offending Jk saying that, its just Max saying that they're so stupid, they even have stupid names.)**_

Malfoy was as pale and as blond as he was last time I had the horrible luck of seeing him. And Crabbe and Goyle were as big and as stupid looking as ever. "Is there a reason your here?" I said coolly, standing up and glaring at Malfoy.

"Calm down, Ride. Only came to ask Weasel if his mother died of shock when his father actually came back with some money," he said, an evil twink in his grey eyes.

Ron burst out of his seat, and went to tackle Malfoy, but Fang and Harry grabbed his arms. Before Malfoy could say anything else, Lupin gave a snort from his seat, and moved his head slightly. "Who's he?" Malfoy asked, his voice higher then usually. "New teacher," Iggy said, venom in his voice. "You don't want to wake him up."

"So, what were you saying about our family?" I asked, indicating to me, Fang, Iggy and Ron. The words sounded right in my mouth, and Ron gave me a weird look- not bad weird, but good weird. Malfoy's cold eyes narrowed, and he looked once again at Lupin, then he turned around and grabbed Crabbe and Goyle's elbows and shoved them into the corridor, and closed the door behind them again.

"Malfoy would never do anything under a teacher's nose. He's stupid, but not that stupid," Fang said. I was staring at Lupin, then I voiced what I was thinking. "Reckon he's actually asleep? I mean, he was completely quiet, then Malfoy came in and he made a noise, and he scampers!"

"He is asleep, Max. Non one could sit that still for that long unless they were asleep," Hermione said in a matter-of-fact voice. I rolled my eyes.

Ron was sitting by the door, massaging his knuckles and he growled, "I'm not going to take any of Malfoy's crap this year." I've never heard him sound so dangerous. "I mean it. If he insults my family one more time, I'm going to hit him. Max did twice, why can't I?"

That was true. I have had the pleasure of punching him twice, and both were great times. Ron continued making violent gestures in the air, and only stopped when Hermione said, "Ron! Stop!" she gestured to Lupin, but there was nothing to worry about. Lupin was fast asleep.

The rain only got worse as the train moved on and on. It was pitch dark outside now, looking the same color as Fang's eyes.

"We have to be nearly there at this stage!" Iggy whined after his stomach grumbled for the fifth time in the space of ten minutes. Only after the words left his mouth did the train start slowing down. "Ah brilliant! I seeing the future! Good thing I'm doing Divination!" Iggy said, going to stand up, but suddenly, all the lights went out in the compartment.

"You see that happening, Ig?" I said. "Er, no," he replied. "Whats going on?" Ron asked, sounding a bit afraid.

"Dunno...Maybe we've broken down?" I mused. Ron started rubbing on the window, trying to look out of it, then said, "I think I can see something...There are people coming aboard."

With our enhanced senses, me, Fang and Iggy were able to see better then the others, but not that well. My mind wandered to Nudge and the other first-years, and I wondered what they were feeling about all this happening on they're first time to Hogwarts.

The door opened, and someone fell onto the ground. "Oh, sorry! Do you guys know what's going on?" It was Neville Longbottom, our fellow Gryffindor third-year. "No idea. Come on, sit here," I said, reaching down and grabbing Neville's hand. He sat on the space beside me, and we heard the door opening again.

"Max? Fang? Ig? Are you here?" It was Nudge. I stood up, and went over to her. I took her hand, and said, "Its alright. We probably just broke down." Nudge sat in my vacant seat, and I stayed standing. "I'll go ask the driver what's happening," came Hermione's voice, and I moved out of her way. She slide the door open, then she squealed in pain, and there was another squeal too.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Hermione?"

"Ginny?"

"Oh my Merlin, come in and sit down!" I snapped.

"Not there! I'm sitting here!" Fang snapped.

"And I'm here!"

"Here, there's some space here."

"Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry, Iggy. I guess there wasn't space there."

"Shut it!" came a hoarse voice from the corner. Professor Lupin had finally woken up, and he sounded annoyed. None of us said anything, and finally Lupin and a light filled the small compartment filled with people. His tired eyes wavered over us all, and I noticed that his eyes widened when he saw me, and they stayed on me longer then anyone else.

"All of you, stay here," he said in a tired voice, and started making his way towards the door, eyes flashing in my direction every once in a while. But before he could reach the door, the door opened. I was expecting it to be another one of our friends, and I was getting ready to tell them to leave, but what was at the door made my blood go cold.

Illuminated by the light from Lupin's wand was a cloaked figure, floating slightly off the ground, it's face covered completely by it's hood. My eye's went downward, and I barely held in a gasp when I was it's scabbed, dead looking hands coming out of the end of the sleeve. That was when the thing under the cloak took a deep, shuddering breath that sent shivers down my spine. I got the feeling it was trying to get more then air from the surroundings.

An intense cold swept over me, and I felt like I had been dumped into an ice bucket, and I was finding it difficult to breath. It felt like the cold was in my body, in my chest, in my very heart...

I felt my eyes drifting closed, and a weightlessness coming over my body. I was drowning in this cold, and I didn't know what to do. I heard air rushing past my ears, and then a scream of a little girl, a terrible scream of agony...I needed to get up, and help that little girl...she sounded like she was in a lot of pain...if only the cold would go away...

"Max! Max! Open your bloody eyes, Max!" someone was shouting, slapping my face. I blinked a few times before my eyes would open properly, and saw Iggy bent over me, hand ready to slap me again. "Don't even think about it," I growled dangerously, and Iggy's hand dropped.

The lights were back on, and the floor was vibrating under me. The Hogwarts Express was moving again. I sat up, and looked around. Iggy was kneeling beside me, Fang was sitting behind me, Professor Lupin was standing by the door, and Ron, Hermione, Nudge, Neville and Ginny were sitting in the seats, looking pale and scared. And Harry was still lying on the floor beside me, unconscious, looking pale.

Iggy moved from me to Harry, and started slapping his face, saying, "Harry! Mate, wake up!"

"Max, are you okay?" Ginny asked. I nodded, and that was when Harry decided to rejoin the land of the living. "You alright, mate?" Iggy asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. Who was screaming?" I stared at him. "You heard it too?" I asked. Harry nodded, "Yeah, I heard a woman screaming." he said, "You heard it as well?"

"I heard screaming, but it was a little girl, not a woman," I said, ignoring the looks we were getting. "No one was screaming guys," Fang said. "But I heard-" me and Harry said, and stopped when there was a loud crack from the door. I turned my head. Lupin was breaking up pieces of chocolate from a huge chocolate bar. When he handed me my piece, I raised my eyebrows, and said, "Always carry this much chocolate with you?"

He laughed, and he looked at my face for a long time, before he handed out chocolate to everyone else. "Eat it," he said, "It will help."

"What was that thing?" I asked. "That was a Dementor," he said darkly. "One of the guards of Azkaban."

We all stared at him, and he stuffed the empty chocolate wrapper into his pocket. "Eat," he said. "I haven't poisoned it. Trust me, it will help. Now, if you excuse me, I have to have a word with the driver." He went passed us and out the door.

"Are you sure you guys are alright?" Nudge asked. Bless her heart, she kept it short. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said. "Same," Harry said. "I don't get it though," he continued. "What happened?"

"Um, well, the Dementor, just stood there and looked...well, you know what I mean..at you and Max and...and..." Hermione didn't seem able to finish. "I thought you were having a fit or something. It was kinda scary..." Iggy finished for her. "So- so no one else...passed out?" I asked. They all shook they're heads, but Fang said, "Me, Iggy and Nudge nearly did, but it was you and Harry."

"Where did it go?" I asked, looking around the compartment, as if expecting the Dementor to be hiding in the luggage rack. "Professor Lupin stepped over you both, and raised his wand, and told the Dementor that we didn't have Sirius Black under our clocks, but it didn't move, and you two were still twitching, then Lupin muttered something, and a bright light came from his wand and the Dementor left," Nudge explained, loving an excuse for talking.

"It was terrible," Neville whimpered, sounding close to tears. "Felt like I'd never be happy again."

I was shaking a bit, and felt weak. Fang gave me his robes, and I took it gratefully. I knew one thing.

I never wanted to be close to a Dementor ever again.

_**Hey, I know the ending was bad and rushed, but it's really late here in Ireland, and this chapter has more then 4399 words, so I thought that was a bit too much. New chapter should be up within the week, but if its not, it won't be that long until it is. **_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_


	4. The Feast

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Hello all! How is everyone? **_

_**I can't wait for Christmas! Anyone else excited?**_

_**Thanks to Max Artemis Potter, who gave me the great idea for the start of this chapter :)**_

**_Here's the new chapter! _**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Remus Lupin's POV (before Dementor came in)_**

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Hermione?"

"Ginny?"

"Oh my Merlin, come in and sit down!"

"Not there! I'm sitting here!"

"And I'm here!"

"Here, there's some space here."

"Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry, Iggy. I guess there wasn't space there."

The voices of kids swam around the small space, eventually waking me up. I growled, and snapped, "Shut it!" All the voices fell silent, and I opened my eyes. For a second, I thought my eyes were still closed, but then I realized that all the lights were gone off. I could practically feel the fear coming from all around me.

I pulled my wand from my shabby robes, and waved it once, thinking clearly, _Lumos. _A small light suddenly appeared and filled the compartment. There were nine children in the compartment, most of them looking terrified. I looked at each of them. Two of them were clearly Weasley's, the flaming red hair being a big give away. There was a small, round-faced boy that resembled Frank Longbottom, a boy who would share a dormitory with me. Another girl with tawny colored skin, a girl with big, busy brown hair, and then-

It was Harry. Harry Potter. James and Lily's son. He was here. It was actually him. I was hoping to meet him at Hogwarts, but I never thought he would look that much like James. So much like my old best friend. But his eyes. They were Lily's eyes, sparkling emeralds.

I didn't want him thinking I was a creepy guy staring at him, so I looked at the last person in the compartment. It was a girl, and seeing her was a bigger shock then seeing Harry.

Her hair, her eyes, her face- it was all the same as I remembered, except it couldn't of been Grace. That was impossible. Grace was dead, I was there, I saw her die. I looked at the girl closer and saw differences between her features and Grace's. The girl's lips were thinner, her nose had a different shape to it, and there was grey spots in her brown eyes. I knew who she was, but it couldn't be true.

I was staring at Grace's daughter.

I was staring at my goddaughter.

**_Max's POV (Now)_**

It wasn't long before Professor Lupin came back in. He looked around at us all, seeing that none of us had eaten our chocolate, and he smiled dryly. "You know, your not going to die if you eat that chocolate. Eat it, I swear you will feel better." I raised the chocolate to my lips, and took a bite. Straight away, heat flooded my body. The weakness left my body, and I felt better.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in around ten or twenty minutes. Are you alright, Harry? And you?" he asked me and Harry.

Harry flushed a bit and said, "Fine." He was clearly embarrassed about the whole thing. So was I, and I hated feeling so helpless. Lupin turned to me, and his eyes softened. "Yeah, I feel fine," I said. Why was he looking at me that way? It was started to creep me out. I noticed how Harry didn't ask how Lupin knew his name. I guess after three years of people knowing who he was and gaping at his forehead, he didn't bother.

No one said anything for the remainder of the train journey. Harry looked furious with himself, just like how I felt. At last, the train pulled to a stop at Hogsmeade station and there was great commotion as everyone wanted to get outside. Owls were hooting, cats were meowing, and toads were croaking. I pulled down Freedom's cage, and left my trunk there, knowing they would leave it in the castle like always.

The rain was pelting against us as we walked onto the platform, and as we walked towards the carriages we heard the familiar booming voice shouting, "Firs' years over here! This way firs' years!"

We turned around and saw the huge outline of Hagrid and the other end of the platform, by the lake. I felt bad for all the first-years, having to go across the lake in small little boats in this weather. "All right, you six?" Hagrid shouted. We all waved, and hurried towards the carriages. There were about a hundred of them on the muddy track, all of them pulling themselves. **_(the reason Max can't see the Thestrals is because she never actually watched anyone die, she just saw them dead. None of the flock had to watch someone die, like Harry with Cedric. She can't see them yet)_**

We climbed into one, with Nudge going into one behind us with other first-years, and Ginny going into one behind that one. The coach started moving, swaying bumping along the path. Even after eating the chocolate, I still felt weak. Harry was resting his head against the window, eyes closed. I was worried that I was going to collapse again, so I started taking slow, deep breaths. The others sent me and Harry strange looks, as if afraid we were going to faint again.

As we went through the high gates, there were two more Dementors standing on either side of the gate. A wave of sickness came over me, and I put my head in my hands, until we passed them and into the grounds. We started picking up speed, and Iggy was staring out the window, watching everything go by. I looked over at the Forbidden Forest, and felt happy that I would be flying over there again soon.

When the carriage came to a halt, we all stepped out. When me and Harry got out, there was a cold, sneering voice saying, "You fainted? Both of you fainted?"

It was Malfoy, and he elbowed past us, and blocked our entrance into the castle. "Go away Malfoy," I growled dangerously. This was not something I wanted to have to deal with. Not now.

"You two fainted? Is Longbottom telling the truth, Potter? Ride? You fainted?" he sounded delighted. "Max told you to go away, Malfoy," Fang said quietly, his jaw clenched. "You faint too, Martinez? Did the great big Dementor finally get through to your emotions? Do you even have any?"

Fang's eyes flashed dangerously, and before anything else could be said a hoarse voice from behind us said, "Is there a problem?"

Malfoy glared at Lupin, and said, "No problem here, _Professor."_ He looked down at Lupin's robes, and his battered suitcase, as if doubting that this man would be a good teacher. Malfoy smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and the three of them went into the school. I pulled on Fang's sleeve to make him move, and we joined the crowd in the Entrance Hall trying to get into the Great Hall.

We made our way to the Great Hall, but was stopped when a stern voice shouted across the Entrance Hall, "Potter! Granger! Ride! I want a word!" It was Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration teacher. She was a strict witch with black hair that was always tied into a bun under her hat.

I wondered what I could possibly of done now. The school year has barely started! "Oh, no need to look so worried! I just want a word!" she said. "Move along, Weasley, Griffiths, Martinez."

They stared at her, then walked to the Great Hall. Me, Harry and Hermione followed McGonagall to her office.

When we got into her office, there was a welcoming fire. I stood next to it, trying to get dry. Harry and Hermione sat down in the seats in front of her desk,and McGonagall sat behind her desk.

"Mr Potter, Miss Ride, Professor Lupin sent an owl saying that you were ill on the train," McGonagall said, staring at me by the fire, and Harry in the chair. Before we could reply, there was a soft knock on the door, and Madam Pomfrey came into the office.

Both me and Harry went red in the face. This was so freaking embarrassing! We didn't need the nurse! It was bad enough I fainted in front of everyone, now everyone was making a fuss about it!

"I'm fine," I started.

"I don't need anything," Harry went on. "Oh, its you two," Madam Pomfrey said, looking at the both of us. "Doing something else dangerous?"

"It was a Dementor, Poppy," McGonagall said grimly. Madam Pomfrey looked disgusted. "Setting Dementors around a school," she tutted, feeling me and Harry's foreheads. "They won't be the only ones to collapse. Yes, there both clammy. Horrible creatures. Effect the people who are delicate-"

"I am not delicate!" Harry and I said together. "Course your not, dears," she said quietly, taking our pulse. "What do they need, Poppy? Perhaps they should spend the night on the hospital wing?" McGonagall suggested. "Were fine!" I said, thinking about what Malfoy would do when he found out that me and Harry had to spend the night in hospital.

"Well, you'd need chocolate anyway," Madam Pomfrey said, looking into my eyes. "We've already had some. Professor Lupin gave it to us," Harry said. Madam Pomfrey straightened up and said, "Did he now? So, a Defense teacher that actually knows what he's doing. Thats something new." McGonagall was looking like she was fighting a smile, but she asked sharply, "Are you sure you two feel alright?"

"Yes," we both said. Hermione was frowning, probably thinking why was she here. I was starting to wonder the same thing.

"Very well. Miss Ride, Mr Potter, please wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger," McGonagall said.

Me, Harry and Madam Pomfrey walked to the door and Madam Pomfrey kept going to the hospital wing, muttering to herself. Me and Harry waited for a few minutes, then the door opened again and McGonagall and Hermione came out. Hermione was looking very pleased about something. McGonagall said, "Come on. We'll go down to the Great Hall for the feast."

We walked down the marble staircase and into the Great Hall. It was full of students sitting at one of the four House tables. The four Houses were Gryffindor(where we were) Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was walking out of the Hall, holding a three legged stool and a battered, frayed old hat. "Oh," Hermione said, "We've missed the Sorting."

I started looking around the Hall, trying to see where Nudge was sitting. I couldn't find her anywhere. "Max! Max! I'm here!" It was Nudge. I looked around, and saw her waving at me. From the Gryffindor table! Nudge was in Gryffindor! Thank Merlin!

I waved back, gave the thumbs up, and followed Harry and Hermione to our seats. "What was all that about?" Iggy asked. Harry started explaining to him in a whisper, but had to stop when Professor Dumbledore stood up and spread his arms wide.

Dumbledore was an old man with a very long, silver beard and hair. He had twinkling blue eyes that were behind half-moon spectacles. He had a crooked nose. People often said that he was the greatest wizard of all time, and he was a man you had to trust.

"Welcome! Welcome to the new, and welcome back to the old for another year at Hogwarts. There a few announcements I would like to give, most of them being more serious then I would like." He paused, and looked around the Hall, the twinkle in his eyes not as noticeable. "I'm sure you all know by now that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban and is on the loose. And I'm sure you noticed the Dementors doing a search on the Hogwarts Express.

"The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. The Ministry had said that the Dementors will not bother us in our day to day activities. Give them no reason to harm you. I must advise no one to leave the school without permission. Dementors do not get fooled by tricks or disguises- or even Invisibility Cloaks," he said, looking straight at us. The boys shared a look, grinning.

"It is not in a Dementors nature to be forgiving, or to understand pleading or excuses. I now turn to the prefects, and the new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure no students go near the Dementors without reason." Percy looked around, puffing his chest out so his Head Boy badge gleamed in the light of the candles, with a smug look that said, _I'm better then all of you. _I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to throw my goblet at his stupid face.

Then, suddenly. Dumbledore started smiling. "On a much happier note," he said in a cheerful voice, "I am more then happy to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Remus Lupin."

There was scattered applause, but those who had been on the train with Lupin were clapping happily. "Look at Snape's face!" Iggy said, smiling. "Why would I want to do that?" I said. "Just look!"

I looked up at the teachers table. Snape, the Potions master, was staring up the table at Lupin, and he looked murderous. Everyone knew that Snape wanted to the Defense job, but the look on his face was anger and hatred that we've never seen before. Dumbledore waited until there was silence before continuing.

"And our second new appointment-" There was an outbreak of whispers at this. Normally there was only one new teacher. Never more then one. I looked at the teachers table and frowned. There wasn't any one there I didn't recognize, all of them were here last year and the only new face was Lupin.

"Well, I'm sorry to say that Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures professor, has retired in order to enjoy time with his remaining limbs. But, and I am pleased to say, that none other then our own Rubeus Hagrid has agreed to take the place as well as continuing with his gamekeeper duties," Dumbledore said. The six of us stared at each other, speechless. The applause from the Gryffindor table was loud enough to wake the dead. Gryffindors always loved and respected Hagrid.

I looked at Hagrid. He was red in the face, and a huge smile was on his lips. I yelled, "Way to go Hagrid!" He laughed, and waved at me.

"We should of guessed!" Fang said. "Who else would of given us a book with fangs?" he grinned. The six of us were the last to stop clapping, and when Dumbledore started talking again, Hagrid was wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "Well, I'm sure that's everything of importance. If there's more, it would be a good experience for the first-years to find it themselves. Let the feast begin!"

I watched, amused, as Nudge turned to a first-year boy and whispered to him, "Was that meant to be a joke? He was joking right?"

The golden plates in front of us filled with mouth-watering food, and the goblets filled with Pumpkin-Juice. Without hesitation, I started grabbing everything in sight and eating it. The food was amazing, as usual, and the normal chatter filled the Great Hall. The six of us though were eager to finish everything so we could talk to Hagrid. It probably means so much to him that Dumbledore believes that he could be a teacher.

Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts in his third-year for something he never did, so him being able to be a teacher is amazing.

Finally, when the dessert disappeared, Dumbledore stood up and said, "You all have classes in the morning! Off to bed with you all! Goodnight!" We ran up to the teachers table. "Congratulations Hagrid!" Hermione and I said, hugging him. "All 'cause of yeh six," Hagrid said. rubbing his eyes. "Great man, Dumbledore...Great man..." overcome with emotion, he buried his head in his hands, and I rubbed his massage back. McGonagall came over to us and told us to go back to the common room.

We joined the rest of the Gryffindors that were streaming up the stairs and heading to the common room. We went up stair after stair, really tired now, and finally came to a stop outside a big painting of a fat lady in a silk pink dress. The Fat Lady asked, "Password?"

Before we could even share confused looks, we heard Percy shouting, "Move! Coming through! Coming through!"

He stopped outside the portrait and said, "_Fortuna Major!"_

The picture swung open, and revealed the common room. We climbed in through the portrait hole and into the round tower. The Gryffindor common room was big, round, and had armchairs by the big fire. There were two spiral staircases on either side of the room, one leading to the girl's dormitory's, the other leading to the boys.

Me and Hermione said goodnight to the boys, and climbed to our dormitory.

I was at home at last.

_**Hey! How was the chapter? Good? Bad?**_

_**Like I said during the chapter, the reason Max, or any of the flock, can see the Thestrals is because they never actually watched someone die, they just saw them dead. Sorry for any confusion I made, I should of made that more clear. **_

__**_Thanks Max Artemis Potter! The idea of doing Lupin's POV was a great idea, and all the credit will go to you! :)_**

******_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

****_**-Rach ;)**_


	5. Nightmare Subject

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Hello! Everyone all right?**_

_**I'm sick, so I can spend all day on fanfiction! :)**_

**_Here's the fifth chapter!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

When we walked into the Great Hall the next morning for breakfast, the first thing I saw was Draco Malfoy, with a load of admiring Slytherins around him, and they were all laughing at something he was saying. As we past them to get to the Gryffindor table, he did a swooning impression, and nearly feel off his chair. All the people around his roared with laughter, and I was praying that Harry hadn't seen anything.

But, of course, he saw the whole thing.

He gritted his teeth and dropped into a chair next to Fred and George Weasley. "That slimy piece of s-" I started saying when I sat next to Harry, but Hermione stopped me by saying, "Just ignore him. He's not worth it. None of them are."

Before another word could be said between us, we heard Pansy Parkison, a Slytherin girl who had a face like a pug, screeched, "Hey! Potter! Ride! Look, there's a Dementor! Oooohhhhhh!" She started waving her arms around in a way that made me think she was a worm or something. She'd be better looking if she was a worm, I'll tell you that.

Fred and George, not noticing what Malfoy and Pansy were doing, asked, "What's wrong, Harry? Max?"

"It's Malfoy," Fang said, cutting a sausage in half.

"Little prat," George said, looking at Malfoy as he `fainted' again. "Wasn't so funny last night when the Dementors came down our end of the train. He actually came into our compartment, and he looked so scared I thought he was going to wet himself. I almost did, laughing at him," George said, Fred nodding in agreement.

"Wasn't that happy though. Dementors are terrible things. It feels like they freeze your insides," Fred said, shuddering. I've never seen either of them looking so serious. In a hollow voice, Harry said, "Yeah, but none of you passed out."

"Unless your forgetting, Harry, I passed out as well," I said, taking a bite from my toast. "But, yeah, it sucks. I hate feeling vulnerable," I said, looking at my hands. "Forget it guys," Fred and George chorused. "Anyway, we'll see how hilarious his jokes are after we trash them in the first match," Fred said, his eyes glinting dangerously. Fred and George were the Beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Harry was the Seeker, and I was a Chaser.

Before the twins got up to leave, they said, "Oh yeah. Almost forgot. Here are the third-year timetables." They handed them to us, and went to find they're friend Lee Jordon.

I looked down at my timetable. It didn't seem that bad, except for the fact that we had Potions with the Slytherins- again. And, we were starting our new subjects today, something Hermione said aloud. Ron looked over her shoulder to see her timetable, and frowned. "They did a mistake with your timetable, Hermione. Your down for about ten classes a day!"

"It's not a mistake," Hermione said, scooping cereal into her mouth. "I've sorted everything with Professor McGonagall."

"Yeah, okay, but look! This morning, it says, `Nine o'clock, Divination.' Then under that, `Nine o'clock, Muggle Studies.' And blimey, Hermione under that, `Nine o'clock, Arithmancy'!" We all stared at Hermione.

"We know your good, Hermione but no ones that good," I said, taking her timetable off her and scanning through it. It was all like that, two or more classes on at the same time, and that was impossible. No one could be in two places at once. We should know, the whitecoats were doing experiments on it before we left.

"I've told you already, I've fixed everything with McGonagall. Pass the marmalade," Hermione said casually. Before we could argue more about Hermione's crazy timetable, Hagrid walked into the Great Hall.

"All righ'?" he said, stopping behind me and Harry. "Yer my first lesson! Righ' after lunch! Bin up since five, gettin' everythin' ready...Hope it goes alrigh'" he said happily, then went up to the teachers table.

"What exactly do you think he's going to teach us?" Iggy wondered, "Not something dangerous. That wouldn't help him at all." We nodded. We finished our breakfast, and left the Hall to go to our first lesson, which was Divination. "Oh no!" Iggy cried, looking at his timetable. "What?" I asked.

"The Divination class is all the way up in the North Tower! It'll take us years to get there!" he whined. "Ig, are you forgetting that we don't tire out that easy? Going to the North Tower is easy for us," Fang said, grinning. "Yeah, lucky you with your super genetics," Ron said sarcastically. We started climbing the marble stairs, and made our way to the North Tower. We were on the second floor when I asked, "Does anyone actually know how to get to the North Tower?" No one answered me...Great.

Twenty minutes later, we were on a corridor none of us have ever been on, and Harry, Ron and Hermione were gasping for breath from all the stairs we had to go up. "There- must-be-a-shortcut-" Ron wheezed, clutching to the wall for support. We turned another corridor that showed another corridor, with nothing on the walls but one, single, painting.

"Maybe its that way," Fang suggested to a different passage way, but Ron said, "No, that goes to the South Tower, look, you can see the lake in the window."

I was looking at the painting on the wall. There was a small, very fat horse on its own, eating grass. A second later, an equally fat knight appeared, swinging an over-sized sword, and looking sweaty. There were grass stains on his knees told me that he had just fallen off his horse. When he saw the six of us standing there, looking at him, he swung the sword, nearly fell over, then left the sword on the ground.

"Aha!" he shouted so suddenly that we all jumped. "Villains! Trespassing on my lands! Come to scorn at the fall? Draw your weapons, knaves!"

I raised my eyebrows and looked at the others. "This guy is mental. Lets leave," I said, not caring that he was right there. "The lady insults me!" the little knight yelled. "You will be the first that I shall hit!"

We all watched as the knight bent to pick up his sword, and he started waving it around violently. But, the knight was too small for him, and he ended up falling over, the sword sinking into the grass. Using this to our advantage, I asked, "Were looking for the North Tower. Where is it?" At once, the knight sat up, and pushed the visor from his face, and he smiled at us as if he hadn't been threatening to kill us.

"A quest!" he shouted, sounding delighted. He bounded to his feet, and tried to pull the sword from the grass. He wasn't successful, so he just left it there. He then clanked over to the small horse, and tried to go on its back, but ended up falling onto his back in the grass again. He stood up once more, and yelled, "One foot then good sirs, and noble ladies!"

"No need to shout," I muttered as he started running (with some difficulty) from one painting to the next. We ran after him, following the sound of his armor. He would shout things like, "Have a heart of bravery, the worst is still to come!" or "We must do this quest, or die trying!" Seriously, this guy had problems.

He led us to a spiral staircase, and he started to walk up, he yelled, "Farewell, friends! If you ever need a brave heart, call upon Sir Cadagon!" I rolled my eyes, "Of course we will...as soon as we want someone whos off their rocker." I said.

We climbed and climbed until we heard whispers from above us. There was a small trapdoor on the ceiling, and on it, a small plague reading _Sybil Trelawney, Divination teacher. _"How do we get up?" Fang asked, looking around the small landing. As though answering his question, trapdoor opened and a silver ladder fell at Harry's feet. Everyone that was already there fell silent.

"After you," I told Harry, indicating to the ladder. He narrowed his eyes at me, then climbed the ladder slowly. I went after him. When I pocked my head out of the trapdoor, I saw the most unusual room in the world. It didn't even look like a classroom, more like a weird hippy tea-shop. There were around twenty circular tables surrounded by fat armchairs and little poufs. There wasn't much light in the room because the curtains were all closed, and there appeared to be scarves around all the lamps.

The fire was on, giving off a sick perfume smell, and it was stiflingly hot. Harry and I walked over to a circular table by the window while the others came up from the trapdoor. When we were all sitting together, Ron asked, "Where is she?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth was there a soft, misty voice from the shadows. "Welcome," the voice said. "How lovely it is that I am seeing you in reality."

I thought it was a bug. Trelawney was very skinny, wore enormous glasses that made her eyes ten times bigger then normal, and she was covered in scarves and beads. "Welcome to Divination," she said, sitting in a big chair in front of the fire. "I am Professor Trelawney. You've probably never seen me before, but I find that leaving my room disturbs my Inner Eye." I snickered, but manage to pull it off as a violent cough.

"You have chosen Divination. I'm afraid that if you do not have the Sight, then I can't do much for you. Books can only take you so far," she went on in the same misty voice. I looked at Hermione. She looked horrified that books won't help her in this subject.

Suddenly, she turned to Neville, and pointed a bony finger at him. "You boy," she said, and poor Neville nearly fell off his seat. "Is you grandmother well?"

Gulping, Neville said, "I-I think so."

"I wouldn't quite so sure, dear," Trelawney said. Neville looked like he was going to cry. I stared at Trelawney as she looked around the room. "For the first term we will be covering the reading of the tea leaves. Second term, we shall do the crystal ball. Unfortunately in February, classes will be interrupted by a spread of the flu. And in Easter, one of our own will leave us forever."

There was a shocked silence, one that Trelawney didn't notice. She looked at Lavender Brown, one of the girls that share the dormitory with me and Hermione, and said, "Could you pass me that teapot, please dear?" Lavender, looking relieved, stood up a picked up a large silver teapot. She gave it to Trelawney, and she said, "Thank you dear. Oh, and the thing you are dreading will happen on Friday, the sixteenth of October."

Lavender paled, and sat down.

"I want you all to divide into pairs, ang get a teacup from the shelf. Then you come to me and I will fill it. You will drink it until the cup is completely empty and only the dregs them around the cup three times, with your left hand, then turn it upside down on your saucer. Then give it to your partner to read, and it will help if you open pages five and six of your books."

When we all had our cups, and drank the boiling hot tea we did as was instructed and then swapped cups. "Right," I said, as Fang looked at my cup. Ron was looking at Harry's and Iggy was working with Neville, and Hermione with Dean. "What can you see in mine?"

Fang looked from my cup, to the one Ron was holding, and said, "Yours and Harry are the same." I took my cup back off Fang, grabbed Harry's from Ron's hands, and looked at them. Sure enough, they were the exact same, nothing different that I could see. I frowned at both cups, looking a small blob in the corner of the cup. "Is that a bowler hat?" I asked, and Fang snorted in amusement. "I thought that as well!" Ron said.

"Give it up for the idiots!" Fang said, and him and Harry laughed. Professor Trelawney turned to us came to our table. "Lets see what you have," she said. "Me and Harry's are the same," I told her. She blinked and said, "That can't be possible. Let me see them." We handed the cups to her.

She gasped. "It's true. You have the same signs!"

She looked into both of the cups, and said "Falcon...you have deadly enemies..."

"Well, everyone knows that Harry does," Hermione said, not trying to hide what she said. We stared at her in amazement. She never talks to teachers like that. That's what I do!

"It's true! Everyone knows about Harry and You-Know-Who," she said. Trelawney didn't answer her, just kept looking at our cups. "The club...an attack...dear, dear, these are not happy cups." Me and Ron looked at each other. That was what we thought was a bowler hat. Oh well.

"A skull...There is danger is your path, dears," she went on. Harry and I looked at each other. We went in danger every year, what was going to be different this year? Trelawney continued rotating the two cups, but when she stopped, and looked at the cups, she dropped them and screamed. She sank into her chair, and started muttering, "No...kinder not to ask...No, dear children, don't ask..."

"What is it?" Dean asked, coming closer for a better look. Trelawney looked like she was going to go into shock. She stood up again, and walked back to me and Harry. "Dears, you have the Grim," she said in a shaky voice.

"The what?" me and Harry said. We weren't the only ones confused. Dean shrugged and sat back down, and Lavender was looking from one person to the next, as if begging them for answers. But everyone else in the class either clapped they're hands to they're mouths in horror, or looked at me and Harry sadly.

"The Grim! The Grim!" Trelawney cried. "Yeah, we've heard that already. Can you tell us what it is?" I asked, getting impatient. "The Grim is a giant dog that haunts churchyards! It is an omen, the worst omen there is. It is the omen of..._death."_

Everyone was staring at me and Harry as if expecting us to drop dead at any moment. "I think we will leave the class from here. Until next time, children," Trelawney said in her misty voice, and she disappeared into the shadows again. The six of us went down the ladder and set for Transfiguration in silence.

Harry and I sat at the back, getting annoyed at the looks the class were giving us. I barely heard what McGonagall was saying about Animagi (wizards who can transform at will into animals) and didn't even blink when she turned into a cat and back again. "What is wrong with you all?" she snapped. "That is the first time I haven't gotten an applause from my class when I transformed!" she sounded disappointed.

"We just had our first Divination class, Professor, and-" Hermione started, but McGonagall smiled. "Say no more. Tell me, which one of you are going to die this year?" she asked. Taken by surprise, it was a minute or two before me and Harry raised our hands. "Oh, its two this year! What a surprise...Well, I should tell you two not to worry. Since she started teaching here, Professor Trelawney had always predicted the death of one student. And I know for a fact that each of them are alive today, healthy and happy. Seeing Death Omens is her favorite way to greet a new class. There is absolutely nothing to worry about."

We nodded, and the lesson went on.

When Transfiguration was over, I noticed that Ron seemed tense. "You okay, Ron?" I asked as we headed to the Great Hall for lunch. "Have either of you seen a great, big, black dog lately?" he asked, looking at me and Harry. We sat down at the Gryffindor table, and I said, "Nope. Harry?"

"Yeah, I did, over the summer," he said casually. Ron's fork fell to the ground, and he looked terrified. "Calm down, Ron. It was probably only a stray," Iggy said, shoveling food into his mouth. "You don't understand. My uncle Bilius saw one a few years ago and died a day later!" Ron cried.

"Coincidence," Hermione said calmly, reading her Ancient Runes book. "You don't know what your saying Hermione! Grims terrify people!" Ron said hotly. "Well, there you go. They die of fright when they see a Grim."

"Divination seems very silly. A lot of guesswork," Hermione said, ignoring the looks Ron were giving him. "Theres nothing silly about a Grim!" he snapped. "You didn't sound like that when you were telling Harry it was a pig!" she snapped.

"Your just annoyed because your actually bad at something for once!" Ron said.

He had gone to far. Hermione snapped her book shut and said in a dangerously quiet voice, "If being good at that stupid subject means I have to see death omens in my tea, then I don't think I'll be doing it much more longer! Divination seems laughable compared to Arithmancy!" she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the Hall.

"She hasn't had her Arithmancy class yet! What was she talking about?" Iggy asked, frowning.

"Something going on with her," Fang said.

"We need to find out," I said.

_**Bad ending, I know, don't kill me! :/ next chapter will be better! :)**_

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

_**-Rach ;)**_


	6. Malfoy's Mistake

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**PLEASE READ!**_

_**Okay, so I got a review from someone who was mad at me because they think I never read the reviews I get. That is not true. I ALWAYS read the reviews you guys write, and if I made anyone else think I don't read them, I'm sorry. **_

_**Seeing a new review always makes me really happy, and if someone gives me advice, I take it and make my writing better. I love getting reviews from people, because before I started writing on fanfiction, I always thought I was an extremely bad writer with no skill, and now with this I know that I have some skill. I ask everyone to review, because I'm worried that I am terrible at writing, and I want honest options. **_

_**I'm sorry if I made anyone anyone think I don't read the reviews. I read them all the time, even go over them to make sure I read them properly. I have amazing readers out there who never fail to review, and reading there reviews always makes me smile. Thank you. **_

_**I also got another review with some other comments. I'm sorry if I never made it clear before, but Max never saw the little boy die. She feel asleep and when she woke up, he was dead. I should of clarified that, and its my fault, and I'm really sorry for any confusion. Also, I never realized that I was putting too much attention on Max and not the others? Do I do that? And is Max coming across as weak? I never realized I was doing that either. I'm really sorry, and I will change it. **_

_**Thank you for the people who commented on this, and I hope I make it better for you. **_

_**Enjoy the chapter, **_

_**-Very sorry Rach :/**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Max's POV<strong>_

The weather was much different to yesterday. The sky was clear and blue, and as we walked out of the castle down to Hagrid's hut, we could hear birds singing from the Forest. Hermione wasn't talking to any of us, and was walking quickly in front of us with her head down. I knew her anger wouldn't last, but it might be a long time before she spoke to us.

We were close to Hagrid's hut when I saw the backs of Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson. They were all talking to each other and sometimes you could hear Pansy's shriek of laughter that could break a window. It was obvious what they were talking about, and it made my blood boil.

Hagrid was standing at his door, wringing his hands and looking very nervous. I smiled and waved at him, and he gave a small wave back. His boarhound, Fang (coincidence, right?) was at his heals, drooling on the floor. "C'mon!" Hagrid said, looking more confident. "Hurry up! Got a real treat fer yeh today. Follow me," he said, and headed off in the direction of the forest.

The six of us shared a confused, slightly scared look. We've all been in the forest before, and we all knew what was in there. Hagrid wouldn't possibly have a class in there? Although, it would be fun to watch a centaur shoot Malfoy with an arrow...

But Hagrid walked straight past the forest, and led us to a small empty paddock on the edge of the tree's. "I want everyone 'round this fence here," he called. We obeyed, the Slytherins walking slowly and sulkily. "Thats it, now the first thing I want yeh ter do is open yer books-"

"How?" Malfoy asked, sneering. He was probably disgusted that he was talking to Hagrid. Fang was glaring at him, and Iggy looked like he wanted to throw a rock at his head. Something I would not stop him from doing. "Eh?" Hagrid asked, frowning. "How do we open our books?" Malfoy said in a slow clear voice, as if he was trying to talk to the tree beside him.

"Hasn't- hasn't no one been able ter open the books?" Hagrid said, looking thoroughly depressed. The whole class shook they're heads. "Ye've got ter stroke the spines," Hagrid said, taking Iggy's book and removed the belt around it. Now that I looked, everyone had ropes, belts, or Spellotape around the Monster Book of Monsters to stop it from taking someones head off.

The book tried to bite Hagrid, but he ran a big finger down the spine, and the book shuddered and fell still into his massive palm. "Oh, how stupid we've been!" Malfoy cried sarcastically. "Why didn't we guess to rub the spine? Were all so silly."

Hagrid turned to look at us, and said, "I thought they were funny." The happy light was starting to leave his warm eyes. Before I could say anything, Malfoy said, "Oh, yes. Incredibly witty. I'm in stitches laughing."

I turned around to look at his pale face and growled, "You better shut up Malfoy, or you will be covered in stitches." If possible, he went paler, but then he composed himself and glowered at me. "Right. Er, I'll go an' get the creatures," Hagrid said, as though nothing had happened, but he seemed to have lost the spring in his step.

He walked away through the trees and disappeared from sight. "God, this place has really gone to the dogs," Malfoy sneered, looking disgusted. "Can't believe they have that giant oaf teaching! Wait until my father hears about this."

"Shut up Malfoy," Harry, Fang, Iggy and Ron growled. "Oh, careful, theres a Dementor behind you," Malfoy gasped, pretending to look scared. Him, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy howled with laughter. I grabbed Fang's arm, knowing he wanted to pounce on Malfoy, and before he could shake me off (which he probably wouldn't be able to do) Lavender squealed, "Ohhhhhhhh!"

On the other side of the paddock, Hagrid was leading about a dozen of the most strangest and most beautiful creatures I've ever seen. They had the hind-legs, bodies, and tail of horses, but they're front legs, head, and wings looked like they belonged to an eagle, or a hawk. Each of them had steely colored beaks, and bright orange eyes. They're talons were sharp and deadly looking, but as I stared at them, they looked harmless and not likely to hurt anyone.

Hagrid had robes around each of they're necks, and some of them were jogging around the paddock, going as far as they could. "Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, his eyes sparkling. "Beau'iful, aren't they?" I couldn't agree more. I adored them. I looked around the class, and noted how most of the class looked terrified at the sight of the gorgeous creatures.

I suppose they looked frightening at first, but once you got over it, you could see the gleaming coats, shining slightly in the afternoon sun, all different colors;stormy grey, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

"Now, of yeh wanna come closer," Hagrid said, stroking the grey colored one lovingly. No one seemed to want to move. I rolled my eyes and took a step closer to the hippogriffs, and hesitantly, others started copying.

"Firs' thing you gotta know 'bout Hippogriffs, is they're very proud creatures. Don't wanna go insulting a Hippogriff. Might be the last thin' you ever do," Hagrid said, staring everyone in the eye. Malfoy was whispering urgently to the other Slytherin's, and I knew something bad was going to happen.

"Yeh always have ter wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the first move," Hagid was saying. "Walk towards 'em an' bow, and when they bow back, you can touch em'. It's polite, see?" I raised my hand, and Hagrid looked happy to take a question. "Max?"

"What do you do if the Hippogriff doesn't bow back?" I asked, looking at the talons. "Good question, Max. If he don't bow back, yeh have ter back away fast, 'cause those talons hurt."

"Right, who wants to go first?" he asked. I wanted to raise my hand and say "Me!" but something told me not to. So I kept my hand down. As did everyone else. I could see Hagrid's confidence leaving him, bit by bit, but before he could totally loose hope, Harry raised his hand and said in a brave voice, "I will." He stepped forward. Everyone gasped loudly, and Lavender squealed, "Oh, Harry, don't! Remember the tea leaves!" He ignored her, and stepped over the small wall and into the paddock.

"Good man, Harry. Well done! Let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak," Hagrid said, gesturing to the grey Hippogriff. He untied the ropes on Buckbeak and pulled him a bit closer to Harry. The whole class seemed to be holding they're breath, as if waiting for Buckbeak to maul Harry.

"Yeh gotta be slow an' easy, Harry," Hagrid advised. "Yeh've gotta keep eye contact the whole time, Hippogriffs won't trust yeh if you blink too much." Harry kept his eyes open, and never blinked. Buckbeak turned to him, and stared at Harry with big, bright orange eyes. "Well done, Harry. Now bow..." Harry bowed down really low, keeping his eyes on Buckbeak the whole time.

But Buckbeak didn't move.

I frowned, started to get worried. Buckbeak wouldn't hurt Harry, would he? "Ah," Hagrid said, looking scared. "Back away, Harry. Slowly, back away." Harry started walking backwards, but to my surprise, Buckbeak bent his knees, into something that was unmistakably a bow.

"Brilliant, Harry!" Hagrid said, beaming. "You can touch 'im now! Pat his beak." Harry, looking like he was trembling a bit, walked slowly over to Buckbeak. He reached out and started rubbing his steely beak. I couldn't help feel jealous of Harry. "I wanna do that!" Iggy whined, staring at the Hippogriffs with large eyes. "Same," I agreed. Fang nodded, grinning. I turned to ask Ron and Hermione what they thought, but they were too busy staring at Harry, as if fearing he was going to get his head bitten off.

Now, Harry was petting Buckbeak's entire head, and he was smiling. I started clapping, and the class did after me, all except for the Slytherins (oh, big shocker there) and they were looking disappointed.

Hagrid, who was clapping as well, said, "Right, reckon you could ride him now." My mouth dropped open, and Hermione grabbed my hand, clutching on really tight, her eyes wide with fear. Harry looked shocked too. He didn't look back at us, but you could see his shoulders tense. "Climb up there, jus' at the wing joint," Hagrid told him, and me, Fang and Iggy shuddered. Having someone standing on your wing joint was not fun, believe me.

Hagrid helped Harry onto Buckbeak's back, and as he was he said, "An' don't pull out any of 'is feathers, 'cause he won't forgive yeh fer that!" I sent Fang a glare, reminding him of the time we were messing/fighting at the house back in Colorado, and Fang had pulled out a handful of my feathers from my wings. He gave me a sorry look, and I looked away. He better of been sorry.

Buckbeak straightened up, and Harry didn't put his hands anywhere on the creature. Honestly though, everything around his was feathers. "Go on!" Hagrid roared, slapping the Hippogriff's butt. Suddenly, twelve-foot wings snapped out, and I was reminded of Iggy's wings. They were a very similar color, and soon they would be that big too.

Harry grabbed Buckbeak around the neck, then they were flying upward. Hermione hold on my arm was turning into a death-grip, and she was following the Hippogriff with her eyes as he flew gracefully around the trees above us. They went around the trees once, then Buckbeak flew back into the paddock. Harry jumped from his back, and landed on the ground. The class erupted in applause again, and Harry was beaming.

"Excellent, Harry!" Hagrid clappped. "Who else wants a go?" he asked.

I helped Hagrid untie the rest of the Hippogriffs, after bowing to them all. When we were untying the black one, Hagrid looked around to make sure no one was looking, and he asked, "How am I doin' on me first day?" I smiled at him, and said, "Your doing amazing...Professor." He tapped my shoulder, making me sink into the ground a bit. "Oh, sorry. Now, lets get these sorted," Hagrid said.

The five of were practicing the chestnut one,and Harry sat on the wall and watched. We didn't have much time, so Harry was the only one that got to fly on one...git.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were with Buckbeak. Malfoy was petting his head with a weird look on his face. I didn't like this at all. "This is easy," he drawled loud enough for most of the class to hear him. "Must of been if Potter did it. Your not dangerous at all, are you? No, your just an ugly brute." My jaw dropped. Buckbeak was up on his hind legs, and it all happened really fast after that.

A swipe of talons, and Malfoy was on the ground, screaming and cradling his arm. Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back with the rope, and I rushed over to help him. Fang and Iggy ran after me, followed by the others. When Buckbeak stopped fighting against Hagrid, he thrust the end of the rope into Iggy's hands, and ran over to Malfoy, followed by Hermione.

Malfoy was curled up in the grass, blood on the ground beside him and around his robes. "I'm dying! I'm dying!" he was screeching. "The bloody chicken killed me!" I rolled my eyes. "Your not dying!" I shouted, kneeling beside Hagrid and Hermione beside him. Hagrid looked at us with a helpless look on his face. He was able to fix wounds like this, I knew that for a fact, but right now, he couldn't do it.

I ripped the bottom of Malfoy's robes as Hermione peeled back his sleeve covering the wound. I wrapped the make-shift bandage around the bleeding cut, Hermione tying it, and stood back as Hagrid lifted him effortlessly, and walked out of the gate, not looking at anyone. He stopped after he walked past, then shouted over his shoulder, "Class dismissed! Back ter the school!"

Shaking, we followed him. When Hagrid was out of earshot, the Slytherin's started bellowing about Hagrid. "He should be sacked!" Pansy shrieked, who had tears screaming down her face. How someone was crying over that slimy little ferret, I would never know.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" Ron yelled, who's face was as red as his hair. "No, it wasn't! Malfoy didn't do anything!" Pansy screeched. I swear, her voice could break glass. "Hagrid warned everyone not to insult a Hippogriff! What did Malfoy do? _He insulted a Hippogriff!" _Iggy snapped. Crabbed and Goyle flexed they're muscles threateningly, and I said, "No need to do that. Were only telling the truth. And in case you've forgotten, Malfoy should be fine within a few days. Madam Pomfrey will have him right tomorrow...sadly." I turned to Pansy and said, "You need to stop talking so much. I'm surprised all the windows haven't smashed yet."

"Yeah, well what about that first-year you live with? I walked past her today and she was talking like she got paid for it! She sounds like an idiot!" Pansy laughed shrilly. I growled dangerously and before I could jump on her, Harry had his arm around my own. "Don't you _ever _say a word against Nudge!" I said in a quiet, dangerous voice.

"Nudge? _Nudge? _What kind of name is that?" Pansy cried. Before I could tear her face off, Harry dragged me off in through the door. "That complete cow!" I yelled. "Max, calm down. We all know she's a cow, but you can't let her get to you!" Hermione said. I breathed deeply, and noticed that Fang and Iggy looked angry as well. Mess with one of the flock, you mess with us all.

We walked through the Entrance Hall and up the marble staircase. When we were nearly up the stairs, Fang said, "I can't believe that happened on Hagrid's first class. Leave it all to Draco Malfoy to screw up everything for Hagrid!"

We were around the first to enter the Great Hall for dinner, and we didn't see Hagrid there. "He can't be sacked?" Harry asked, looking fearful. "He better not be," Iggy said, not eating his dinner. And you know something is wrong when Iggy isn't eating.

I looked over my shoulder to see the Slytherins that was at the Care of Magical Creatures class all huddled together, whispering. Probably making they're own version of how Malfoy got hurt. I clenched my fork tight, and I really wanted to throw it at all they're stupid heads. "Can't deny," Fang started, looking at us all in the face, "That it was an interesting first day back."

_**So, I hope I made it better for the two people who reviewed with what was wrong with this story. Was it better? **_

_**And once more, I ALWAYS READ THE REVIEWS! I'm not mad or annoyed at that comment, I'm just saying that I always read them. I don't know what made that person think I don't read them. **_

**_Oh, and to Bethzilla (thats the name you used, you didn't log in, sorry) I'm Irish not English :D_**

**_Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! :)_**

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_**-Rach ;)**_


	7. The Defense Class

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Here's the next chapter! Hope its good!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

When the six of us had finished eating our dinner, Harry looked at his watch. "It's not that late yet. Maybe we could go down to Hagrid?" We all nodded, except for Hermione. "I don't think we should be walking around the grounds at night," she said, her eyes flickering to Harry. "Sirius Black is not going to jump out from behind a rose bush and kill him!" Iggy said, already getting his bag from under the table. "Yeah, Black wouldn't of been able to get past the Dememtors this fast," Fang said, standing up.

"Oh, alright. I'm sorry for worrying about my friend," Hermione said, standing next to Fang. "Let's go to the common room first," I suggested, wanting to leave my heavy bag in my dorm. We climbed to the seventh floor, gave the Fat Lady the password and went through. It was packed in the common room, as it always does this time at night and no one bothered us as we walked through to leave our bags down.

I saw Nudge sitting in one of the armchairs near the fire, with three girls and two boys. I walked over to them, and said, "Hey, Nudge. How was your first day?" Nudge turned around and squealed and hugged me. "Oh, Max! This place is amazing! I love all the classes, and I've made a lot of new friends, and I think Charms and Transfiguration are brilliant. Professor Snape is such an awful person, he hates Gryffindors! Oh, in Charms, I made my feather fly up on my first go! I was so proud! Let me introduce you to my friends," she said, and pointed at one of the girls who had short dark hair. "That's Emily," she said, and I smiled at her.

She pointed at the second girl, and said, "That's Eliza," she pointed at the third and last girl, "And that's Meghan." I smiled at them all, and said, "What about you?" I gestured to the two boys. "I'm Evan," said the blonde boy. "I'm Ryan," said the other. "Great to meet you all. Glad you like it here," I added to Nudge. "If you ever need me for anything, just find me. No matter what I'm doing, your more important." She was about to say something else, when Ron shouted, "Max! Come on!" Nudge hugged me again, I waved at her friends, and went over to the others who were standing by the portrait hole.

"Look! There's still a light on in Hagrids!" Ron said, looking out the window as we passed in the corridor. All six of us walked through the castle and out the front doors through the grounds.

When we reached Hagrid's hut, Fang reached out and knocked on the door. From inside, we heard a growl, "C'min." Harry pushed the door open, and closed it after we all stepped into the small house. Hagrid was sitting at the table, a large tankard in front of him. He had clearly been drinking a lot, and he looked at us for a while before his expression cleared at he recognized us.

"Record, I 'spect," he said in a thick voice. "Doubt they 'ad a teacher that only lasted one day before." We all shared a look, and Hermione said in a shaky voice, "They haven't fired you, have they, Hagrid?" I bit my lip, not liking this conversation. "Not, yet. Matter o' time, though. After Malfoy..." He put his head down, and tears started filling in his eyes.

"He's okay, though, Hagrid? It's not serious or anything?" I asked. "Madam Pomfrey did what she could," he said gruffly. "But he's covered in bandages...moaning...says he in agony..." Harry's eyes narrowed, and he said, "He's faking it. It's obvious. Last year, she regrew all the bones in my arm, remember? And she fixed Max's ankle. Just leave it to Malfoy to make everything worse then it is."

"O' course, the gov'nors been told," Hagrid said as if Harry hadn't spoken. "Reckon I started too big. Should of started wit' Flobberworms or summat. Just wanted an interesting first lesson." He sounded miserable. "Were witnesses, Hagrid," I said. "We were there. You told everyone not to insult a Hippogriff. It's Malfoy's fault he wasn't listening and got himself hurt."

"Yeah, we'll tell Dumbledore, and the governors, what really happened. We'll back you up," Iggy said. Hagrid had tears falling onto his beard, and he was smiling gratefully at us. "I've think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," Hermione said, strolling over to the table and she went to pick up the tankard, but it was too big and heavy. Fang went over to help her, and together they brought it outside and emptied it. "She's right..." Hagrid said, and followed them out of the hut.

After a few seconds of silence, we heard a loud splash from outside as Hermione and Fang came back inside. "What's Hagrid done?" Ron asked. "He dunked his head into a barrel of water," Fang said, as if was something that happened every day. Hagrid came back in, his hair and beard soaking wet, and water dripping onto his clothes.

"That feels better," he said, shaking his head and spraying water everywhere. "Thanks fer comin' ter see me, but-" He stopped, and stared at Harry as if he's never seen him before.

"WHAT D'YOU THING YER DOING 'ERE!" he roared and I felt Hermione jump beside me. "YEH'RE NOT MEANT TO BE WANDERIN' AROUND AT NIGHT HARRY! AN' YOU FIVE, LETTING 'IM!" Hagrid advanced over to Harry, grabbed his arm and led him out to the door. "C'mon!" Hagrid yelled. "I'm takin' ye back ter the castle! An' don't come ter visit me again after dark! I'm not worth it!"

* * *

><p>It was during Double Potions on Thursday that Draco Malfoy decided to come back to class. He strutted into the dungeons like he owned the place, and Snape barely raised his greasy head. If that had been any Gryffindor, they would have detention for a month.<p>

"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" Pansy asked, battering her eyelashes. "Yes," Malfoy grimaced, trying to look like some super-duper hero that just saved the world. When Pansy turned back to her potion, I caught Malfoy winking at Crabbe and Goyle.

Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to me, Harry and Fang. The other three were in front of us, and Hermione looked over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows. I shrugged, and gave Malfoy the dirtiest look I could muster. "Sir," Malfoy called. "I need help with my roots. Because of my arm," he said. "Martinez, cut up Malfoy's roots," Snape ordered, not looking up.

Fang clenched his jaw, and he hissed at Malfoy, "Your arm is fine." Malfoy just smirked, and said, "You heard, Snape, Martinez, cut up my roots."

Fang growled, and grabbed Malfoy's roots, and his knife,and started hacking the roots. Malfoy grinned a grin of pure evil, and he called, "Sir, Martinez is mutilating my roots." I glared at him, and hissed, "Shut up Malfoy before I give you a real injury." Unfortunately, Snape heard me, and he said, "Miss Ride, I would appreciate it if you didn't threaten students in my class. Ten points from Gryffidnor and detention for the weekend."

"But sir-" I started, but he cut me off. "Unless you want detention for a month, I suggest you keep that sarcastic mouth of your shut, Ride. And Martinez, swap roots with Malfoy." He walked away, and both me and Fang were shaking with rage. Fang had spent so long cutting his roots to perfection, and he gave Malfoy a death glare as he swapped the roots.

"Sir, I'll need someone to skin my shrivelfig," Malfoy said five minutes later. "Miss Ride, skin Malfoy's shrivelfing," Snape said. I put down my knife, and looked at Snape. "No," I said.

The whole class seemed to freeze. Snape looked at me with such hatred on his face that I was surprised he wasn't yelling. "No?" he said in a calm voice. "Yup, that's what I said. I'm not skinning his shrivelfing. He can do it himself," I said, not breaking eye contact. "Miss Ride, are you so dimwitted that you can't notice that Mr Malfoy has a sever injury?" he asked, the corners of his lips twitching.

"Are you so dimwitted that you can't notice that he's faking the whole damn thing!" I yelled. It seemed like no one in the class was breathing. Iggy looked over his shoulder to look at me, and he was laughing. "How dare you speak to me like that!" Snape shouted. I didn't say anything, just stared at him.

"You have just earned yourself a week's worth of detentions, Ride. Also, you are banned from the first Hogsmeade trip," Snape said. I opened my mouth to shout at him, but Harry elbowed my in the ribs. "What?" I hissed. "Shut it," he said, "Don't get into anymore trouble." That was a hard thing to do, as during the whole class, Malfoy stood there, taunting us by saying how Hagrid wouldn't be a teacher anymore.

Near the end of the class, Seamus leaned over to our table, and whispered, "Have you heard? In the _Daily Prophet _this morning! They think Sirius Black has been sighted!"

"Where?" Harry asked. Now, Iggy, Ron and Hermione were looking back, listening to what was being said. "Not too far from Hogwarts," Seamus said, "It was a Muggle that saw him. She phoned the special number the Ministry set up, but by the time they got there, he was gone." Ron, frowning, said, "Not too far from here..." He looked at us, and then saw Malfoy watching all of us closely. "Something you want, Malfoy?" he asked in a harsh tone.

He ignored Ron, and leaned closer to Harry. "Thinking on catching him single-handed, Potter?" he drawled. "Course I am. I'm gonna find him, and kill him myself," Harry deadpanned. "If it was me, I would of done something by now," Malfoy said. "What are you talking about, Malfoy? We really don't want to have to listen to you," I said.

"Don't you know, Potter?" Malfoy said, his eyes lighting up.

"Know what?"

Malfoy gave a short, cold, laugh, and said, "Maybe you don't want to get hurt. If it was me, I'd do something myself. I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself." I frowned, wondering what he was talking about. **_(Emmy, I got your review, and the idea was really good, and I would of used it, but the only people that know who Max actually is are Snape and Lupin. No one else knows, so sorry I can't use it, but it was a great idea)_**

"What are you talking about?" Harry said, angrily, but at that moment Snape shouted, "Class is over!"

Everyone gathered they're bags and left the dungeon. Malfoy grinned at us, and walked out with Crabbe and Goyle.

The six of us walked up the steps to the Entrance Hall. "What do you think Malfoy was talking about, Hermione?" Ron asked, turning to look at Hermione, who was behind us. Ron gasped, and we all turned to see what what was wrong.

Hermione wasn't there.

But she had been. Just a few seconds ago. "Where did she go?" I asked. The boys just shrugged. "We'll find her in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Fang said.

We walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and when we got there, Hermione was already there. "Where did you go?" I asked. "What? Oh, I had to go back and get something. Sorry," she said, but she didn't look truthful. I just shrugged it off, and we all waited for Professor Lupin to arrive.

While we waited, everyone took out the books, parchment and quills. When Lupin did arrive, he looked around at everyone and smiled. "Hello. If you could, put everything back into your bags and take out your wands. This is going to be a practical lesson," he said, and an outbreak of whispering broke out through the class. We've never had a practical class before, unless you counted the time Lockhart brought in pixies to the class and set them loose.

"Right, please follow me," Lupin said, and he walked out of the class. Confused, we all got up and followed him. We walked down the corridor and around a corner and into the staffroom. It was a big room with a large wardrobe at one end, and a table in the middle. There was only one person there when we walked in, and it was Snape.

There was a nasty sneer on his face, and when Lupin went to close the door, he said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I notice that you have Neville Longbottom in your class and I'd rather not witness this. I would advise you not to give him anything too difficult, unless you have Hermione Granger whispering in his ear." He looked around the class and when he saw me, he said, "Oh, and you have Miss Maximum Ride here as well. Don't say anything to her, Lupin, unless you want a sarcastic, cheeky remark." I smiled sweetly at him as turned around, and when he had his back to us all, I gave him a rude gesture, one that Lupin saw.

I paled, waiting for him to give me more detention, or take away points, but surprisingly, he laughed.

"Actually Severus, I was hoping that Neville would help me with this class," Lupin said. "And I'm sure he will do it brilliantly." Snape gave Lupin a look of such hatred, it was similar to the one he gave me and Harry. Neville's face went red, and Snape left the room and slammed the door behind him.

"Now," Lupin said, beckoning the class to go to the other side of the room where the wardrobe was. As Lupin went closer to it, it gave a shake, banging against the wall. "Nothing to be afraid about," Lupin said calmly as a few people jumped in fright. "Nothing but a Boggart in there."

"Boggarts like dark, small spaces," Lupin explained. "I found this one yesterday afternoon, and the Headmaster kindly gave me permission to show it to my third-year class. Now, the first question we ask ourselves is: what is a Boggart?" To no ones surprise, Hermione's hand shot into the air. "Yes, Miss-?" Lupin said.

"Hermione Granger, sir," she said. "A Boggart is a shape-shifter. They change into the shape of whatever frightens the person closest to it most."

"Excellent!" Lupin said, beaming. Hermione blushed slightly and smiled. "So, the Boggart in here hasn't yet taken a form. Or, if it has, no one knows what it looks like. When I let it out, it will take the form of what we fear the most," Lupin said, and Neville whimpered. "Which means," Lupin went on, ignoring Neville, "We have an advantage! Harry, do you know what that is?" he asked.

Hermione put her hand into the air, but Harry said, "Because there are so many of us here, it won't know what shape to take." Lupin beamed and said, "Yes! Exactly! Well done Harry. The Boggart will become confused, and won't know what shape to take. That is important, and it will be an advantage!

"There is a spell that will repel a Boggart. It is easy, but will require strength of the mind. But, the real thing that will finish a Boggart is laughter. You have to changed it into something funny. We'll practice the incantation together. Without wands, first please. After me, _riddikulus!"_

_"Riddikulus!" _the class said.

"Good, good," Lupin said. "But thats the easy part, I'm afraid. The word alone is not enough, and this is where you come in, Neville." Neville gulped, and he looked terrified. "First thing, Neville. What would you say frightens you most of all?" Neville mumbled something no one could hear. Lupin smiled, and said, "I'm sorry, Neville. What was that?"

"Professor Snape," Neville whimpered. Everyone laughed,and even Neville smiled. Lupin laughed and he looked thoughtful. "Snape...hmm...And I believe you live with your grandmother?" he said, and Neville nodded.

"Could you tell us what your grandmother normally wears, Neville?" Lupin asked cheerfully. "Er...always the same hat. Tall, with a stuffed vulture on top of it, and a long green dress and sometimes she wears a fox-fur scarf," Neville said. "A handbag?" Lupin asked. "A big red one," Neville said.

"Right, brilliant. Now I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, clearly in you mind. Can you do that?" Neville nodded.

_**Here's the chapter! Hope it was goooood!**_

**_Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! :)_**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

_**-Rach ;)**_


	8. The Boggarts

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

**_How are everyone?_**

**_I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO UPDATE!_**

**_We've had Christmas tests all this week, and I've been studying every night for them! Sorry! _**

**_Thanks for all the reviews :)_**

**_Does anyone else love the Lion King? I think its amazing! I love it! _**

**_Enjoy the chapter!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

Lupin pointed his wand at the wardrobe, and said, "One the count of three, Neville." Neville nodded slowly, looking terrified. "One," Lupin counted, and he was looking delighted. "Two," Neville pointed his wand at the wardrobe, "Three!" Red sparks flew from Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. It twisted and the door burst open.

Shallow-skinned, hook nosed and dressed in black with a sneer on his face, Professor Snape stepped out of the wardrobe, giving Neville a look of pure loathing. Neville squeaked, and started backing away, and Snape was reaching into his robes. "_R-riddikulus!_" Neville cried.

There was a loud _crack _and Snape stumbled, then he was wearing a long, green dress, carrying a big red handbag, and on top of his greasy head, was a tall hat with a stuffed vulture on it. There was a minute silence, then everyone was roaring with laughter. The Boggart hesitated, looking from one person to another with a frown on his shallow-face. "Brilliant! It's confused! Pavarti, forward!"

Pavarti walked forward, looking frightened, but her face was set. Boggart-Snape rounded on her, and there was another _crack _and standing in front of her was a bloody, bandaged mummy. I smirked slightly. Leave it to Pavarti to be scared of something like that.

The mummy stared at her, and started walking slowly and stiffly towards her, dragging his feet behind him. "_Riddikulus!_" Pavarti yelled, waving her wand at the mummy. The bandages started unraveling around the mummy's feet, and it feel flat on his face, and his head fell off and rolled across the floor.

"Seamus!" Lupin called. Seamus walked forward, and stared at the mummy. _Crack! _The mummy became a tall, skeletal woman with foot-long shiny black hair and ghostly green skin. A banshee. She started shrieking, a high pitched scream that made my head ache. "_Riddikulus!_" Seamus shouted. The banshee made a chocking noise, and clutched at her throat. Her voice was gone.

The Boggart then became a rat, which started chasing it's tail, then it became a rattlesnake, before becoming a bloody eyeball.

"It's more confused now then ever! Come on Iggy, your next!" Lupin yelled. Iggy swallowed, and walked over to the eyeball that was rolling around on the floor. _Crack! _It became a whitecoat. Not like what I remembered, but this was ugly, scared everywhere, and just not human. It was taller then any human I've ever seen, even Hagrid, and was holding a huge needle. This was how Iggy saw the whitecoats when he was blind.

"_Riddikulus!_" Iggy shouted, and my heart swelled with pride at how calm and strong he sounded. The whitecoat turned into a tiny man, and the needle was turned into a carrot. Iggy grinned, and walked calmly to the back of the line.

"Fang! Your next!" Lupin called. Fang paled slightly and approached the tiny whitecoat. With a crack, it turned into two small, clearly dead figures, covered in blood. It took me a few seconds to recognize Gazzy and Angel. Above everything, he feared them dying the most. Probably because the rest of the flock were here at Hogwarts, where he knew they were safe.

"_Riddikulus!_" Fang shouted. Both Angel and Gazzy sat up, no blood anywhere on either of their bodies, and they started making weird, silly faces. I smiled, and tried to ignore the pain in my heart from missing my little babies. "Great, Fang, great. Ron, come on, you next!"

Ron walked forward, holding his wand tight in his hand. As Fang passed me, I smiled happily at him, and he smirked. He joined Iggy at the back.

Ron's Boggart was a spider. He was absolutely terrified of spiders. A few people screamed as a giant, six-foot spider appeared in front of them, covered in hair. I thought Ron had completely frozen. But then, he raised his wand shakily and stammered, "_R-riddikulus!_" The spider's legs vanished, and he rolled onto his back, and came to rest at my feet. I took a breath, and raised my wand and pointed it at the spider. Lupin was watching me with more interest then with the others.

Like the other times, there was a loud crack. All the girls in the class screamed, and most of the boy's paled. Standing in front of me, growling and snarling, was the other human-hybrid the School made that lived past the age of two. Erasers. This one was six feet tall, covered in hair, and had foot long teeth. The flock were half bird, but the Erasers were half wolf. They could tear you apart in about half a second. Something we had to learn at the School.

The Eraser-Boggart started advancing on me, growling and snarling the whole time, and I felt the blood leave my face. I looked into the eyes of the Eraser. It was his eyes. Donovan. His eyes.

At the School, I attracted the attention of a particular terrible whitecoat, and he seemed to only experiment on me after that. They were all painful ones too, let me tell you. I remember feeling like my whole body was on fire, or getting attacked by knifes. It was the most awful thing I ever had to go through. I shuddered, and raised my wand, shaking slightly.

"_Riddikulus!_" I cried. Suddenly, their was no fur to be found on the Eraser. The Eraser started shrieking, and tried to cover himself. There was laughter around the room, and I smiled. "Well done Max! Harry, forward!" Lupin called, looking proud. Harry, smirking, walked over to the hairless Eraser with his wand in his hand.

He stood in front of the Boggart, and I wondered what it would turn into. Harry wasn't really afraid of much, but if there was something that it would turn into, it would most likely be Lord Voldemort. But before anything happened, Lupin ran in front of Harry, and yelled, "Here!" The Eraser turned into a silvery white orb in front of him. "_Riddikulus!_" he said lazily, and it became a cockroach. "Neville, come on and finish it off!" Lupin said.

Neville came forward, looking determined. Snape was back, and he was looking as mean as ever. "_Riddikulus!_" Neville shouted, his voice full of confidence. Snape was once again wearing Neville's grandmothers clothes. Neville gave a "Ha!" and the Boggart exploded in a puff of smoke.

"Amazing, Neville, amazing! Right, so five points for everyone that tackled the Boggart, ten for Neville because he did it twice, and five for Hermione and Harry," Lupin said, looking proudly at everyone. "But I didn't do anything," Harry said, looking confused. "Yes you did. At the start of class, you and Hermione answered the questions correctly," Lupin said. "A very excellent class, everyone. Homework is to kindly write a summary on the chapter of Boggarts in your book. To be handed in on Monday."

Talking happily, the class left the staffroom. I noticed that Harry looked a bit off, but it was probably nothing. Everyone was talking proudly of what they did, and I heard Seamus saying, "Did you see that banshee I tackled?"

"That was the best Defense class we've ever had, wasn't it?" Ron said thoughtfully as we walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

"He seems like a great teacher," Hermione said. "Wish I could of got to the Boggart though..."

"What would it of been?" Iggy said, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. "A failed essay?" We laughed, and Hermione scolded at us.

* * *

><p>It only took a few classes to make Defense Against the Dark Arts everyone favorite's subject. It was only the Slytherin's that actually had something bad to say about Lupin. "Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy remarked one day. "He dresses like my old house-elf."<p>

Too bad no one could care less about what Lupin wore. Over the next few classes with him, he had brought in even more interesting creatures then in the first class. First, we studied Red Caps, who were horrible little goblin like things who would lurk in any place where there was bloodshed. From there, we studied Kappas. They were weird, creepy water creatures with webbed hands, wanting to strangle anyone who wandered somewhere where they shouldn't.

If only the other classes were as good at these ones. Potions was awful. Ever since the story about the Boggart had gotten around the school, he's been in a murderous mood,and he was taking it all out on Neville in Potions. Also, all six of us were hating Divination. Every class, Trelawney would look at me and Harry as if we were going to fall flat on the floor, dead.

Nobody liked Care of Magical Creatures either. Ever since the incident with Buckbeack, Hagrid was playing everything way too safe. Now, we were spending all the classes looking after flobberworms, which were the most dullest creatures in the world. "Who'd want to look after these anyway?" I snapped irritably one class, after trying to force lettuce down a flobberworm's throat.

When September turned into October, there was something that made Harry and I more happy then we have been in days. The Quidditch season was starting. Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, and Keeper, called a meeting on Thursday evening to talk about the upcoming Quidditch matches.

On a Quidditch team, there was seven people; three Chasers, who had to get the Quaffle through one of the fifty foot hoops. The Gryffindor's Chasers were Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and me; there was two Beaters, who had to defend their teammates from the Bludger, and try to hit people on the other team. Our Beaters were the Weasley twins; there was a Keeper, who had to defend the hoops, and finally there was the Seeker, who had to catch the Golden Snitch. When that happened, the match was over.

Oliver was a muscly seventh-year who was completely obsessed with Quidditch. He sounded desperate as he talked to us in the cold dressing rooms one night before Quidditch practice.

"This is my last chance to win the Cup," he said, pacing back and forth in the dressing room. "I'm leaving at the end of the year, and this is my last chance.

"Gryffindor hasn't won the Cup in seven years. Okay, we had some bad luck- injuries, and then the tournament being cancelled last year," a luck of pain crossed Oliver's face. "But we know that we have the best bloody team in the whole ruddy school!" he said, looking everyone in the face with such pride that I couldn't help grinning.

"We've got three amazing Chasers!" He pointed to me, Angelina and Katie. We looked at each other, and stood up and bowed. The rest of the team laughed and clapped. "Two unbeatable Beaters!" Oliver pointed to Fred and George. "Oh, Oliver, stop, your embarrassing us," they said together, pretending to blush.

"And a Seeker who's never failed to win us a match!" Oliver finished, beaming at Harry. After a moments hesitation, he said, "Er, and me."

"Yeah, we think your pretty amazing too, Oliver," I said. "Spanking good Keeper, Oliver," Fred said.

"The point is," Oliver said, grinning, "We should of won the Cup for the last two years. Ever since Harry and Max joined the team, I thought we had the Cup in our common room ever since. But, we never got it. This has to be our year, everyone. This is it." His speech seemed to spark something in all of us.

"We'll do it Oliver," Katie said. "This is our year," I said, my voice strong and firm. "We'll win the Cup," Harry said.

Full of new found determination, the team started the training sessions, three nights a week. The weather was getting worse and worse, and after no time at all, the pitch was like a swamp.

I absolutely loved my Nimbus Two Thousand. It was fast, and seemed to move at my slightest touch. It was faster then any other broom I have ever been on. It was even faster then when I was flying with my wings. Harry and I were the only ones on the team with a Nimbus, but that didn't mean the rest of the team weren't good. In all, this was the best team at Hogwarts.

One evening after training, Harry and I walked into the common room, dripping wet and covered mud to find everyone talking loudly and excitedly. "What's happening?" I asked the others, who were sitting by the fire. "First Hogsmeade weekend. On Halloween," Fang said without looking up from his Divination chart.

"Brilliant," George said from behind me, "I need to go to Zonko's and buy more Dungbombs."

"Oh great," I said grimly. "Snape's banned me from the first Hogsmeade weekend, remember?" I looked at Harry, and noticed that he looked kinda depressed. "Oh, Harry," I said. "I forgot...Sorry. Well, at least you won't be alone then, right?" I had only remembered now that Harry wasn't able to go to Hogsmeande at all. Harry grinned, and said, "Don't worry. It's fine."

"I'm sure you'll be able to go to the next one Harry," Iggy said. "Black will be back in Azkaban in no time. He's already been sighted once before."

"Black's not an idiot. He's not going to try and kill Harry in the middle of Hogsmeade. I reckon you should ask McGonagall if you can go to this one, Harry," I said, looking at Harry. "But Harry's not meant to leave the castle grounds!" Hermione said.

"He can't be the only third-year that doesn't go to Hogsmeade at all! Just ask McGonagall, Harry!" Ron insisted. Before Hermione could say something, Harry said, "Yeah, I will."

Then, Crookshanks leapt onto Hermione's lap with a dead spider in his mouth. "Does he have to eat that there?" Ron asked, disgust on his face. "Very clever, Crookshanks! Did you catch that yourselve?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron. "Just keep him over there, alright? I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag," Ron said, pushing his bag farther away with his foot.

Harry and I started doing our homework, even though all we wanted to do was go to bed. "Here, you can copy mine," Ron said, pushing his own chart towards me and Harry. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hermione purse her lips, but she continued to stroke Crookshanks. Hermione disapproved of copying.

I noticed that Crookshanks was staring pointedly at Ron's bag. Then suddenly, he pounced.

"OY!" Ron bellowed, and he jumped for his bag. Crookshanks was digging his claws into the bag, ripping it to pieces. "GET AWAY FROM THAT YOU STUPID, UGLY ANIMAL!" Ron grabbed the shoulder strap of his bag and tried to get Crookshanks off of it, but he dug on, spitting and hissing.

"Ron! Don't hurt him!" I heard Nudge shout. She was standing by the stairs to the girl's dormitory, looking at Ron as if she's never seen him before. She crossed the room, and stood at the back of my chair. "It's okay, Nudge," Fang said. "Ron won't hurt him." Hermione was staring at Ron with a terrified look on her face.

Ron was after whirling the bag around in the air and Scabbers flew from it and went through the air and across the room.

"CATCH THAT BLOODY CAT!" Ron shouted as Crookshanks raced after Scabbers. George made a lung at the ginger cat, but he missed and fell to the ground. Scabbers went through about twenty pairs of legs, many people screaming, and Scabbers stopped under a chest of drawers. Crookshanks stopped, and started swiping at the chest of drawers, trying to get to Scabbers.

Hermione hurried over to Crookshanks and scooped him up into her arms. Ron fell to his stomach, and with great difficulty he managed to drag Scabbers out by the tail.

I was shaking with laughter, and Harry. Fang and Iggy looked like they were in pain from keeping in their laughter.

Ron shook Scabbers in front of Hermione's face. "Look at him!" he roared, oblivious to everyone in the common room watching him. "He's a state! And your animal isn't helping him! There's something strange about that cat!" Hermione looked close to tears, and she said, "Ron, he doesn't understand it's wrong! He's a cat, it what's they do!"

"He knew Scabber's was in my bag! He heard me say it!" Ron yelled, his face as red as his hair. "Oh, Ron that's rubbish! He smelt Scabbers!" Hermione shouted.

"Your ruddy cat's got it in for Scabbers! You keep him away from him! Scabbers was here first, and he's very sick!" Ron said angrily, and he stormed up to his dormitory. Hermione looked at me, then around at everyone else in the room, who were completely silent, and she ran up to our dormitory, Crookshanks sitting in her arms as if nothing had happened.

**_Hey, like I said earlier, I am so sorry about not updating sooner. This week was just really busy with tests, and Christmas shopping..._**

**_Anyway, how was the chapter? Good? Bad? Horrible? Tell me in a REVIEW!_**

**_Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! :)_**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

_**-Rach ;)**_


	9. The Fat Lady's Disappearance

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_Hello everyone! How is everyone?_**

**_Sorry the update was slower then usual, I've been really busy with school, and Christmas stuff. But I'm on my holidays on Tuesday, so more time for this!_**

**_I can't wait for Christmas! _**

**_Anyway, here's the newest chapter :)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

Ron refused to speak to Hermione the next day. Honestly that boy could hold a grudge! He barely looked at her during Herbology even though her, Ron and Fang were working together on the same Puffapod. Me, Iggy and Harry were working together beside them and I heard Hermione asking timidly, "How's Scabbers?"

"Hiding in my bed, shaking," Ron snapped. I rolled my eyes at Iggy and mouthed, "Moron." Iggy snorted into his hand, and covered it up with as a cough as Ron glared at him. Ron missed the pail, and spilled beans all over the greenhouse floor.

"Be careful, Weasley!" Professor Sprout snapped.

Next we had Transfiguration. Harry looked distracted as we walked into the castle. Probably thinking how he was going to ask McGonagall to let go to Hogsmeade. We stopped outside the Transfiguration, and there was a disturbance at the front of the line. Lavender was crying, and holding a crumpled piece of paper.

"Lavender, are you alright?" Fang asked. Oh, so now he was Mister Sensitive. Brilliant.

"Her parents sent her a letter this morning," Pavarti whispered. "Her rabbit, Binky, was killed by a fox."

"Oh, I'm sorry Lavender," Hermione said. "I don't really like rabbits," I said without thinking. This made Lavender cry harder. Hermione gave me a stern look, and I just shrugged. "I should of known!" Lavender wailed. "Do you know what day it is?" she asked.

"Friday?" me and Iggy said. "It's the sixteenth of October!" Lavender wailed. "Remember in Divination? The thing your dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October! She was right, she was right!" Lavender started sobbing again, and I raised my eyebrows at everyone around me.

"You- you were dreading that Binky was going to be killed by a fox?" Iggy asked. Hermione looked at him, and it was obvious she was just going to ask that.

"Well not a fox! But I obviously didn't want him to die!" Lavender said. Hermione paused, then asked, "Was Binky an old rabbit?" Lavender shook her head, tears falling onto her robes. "No! He was only a baby!" I frowned, and before I could say anything, Hermione said, "Then why were you dreading him dying if he was only a baby?" Pavarti glared at Hermione.

"Well, think of it logically," Hermione said. "Binky didn't even die today, Lavender only got the news today. And she couldn't of been dreading it happening, as it came as a big shock and-"

"Don't listen to Hermione, Lavender," Ron said. "She doesn't care much for other people's pets."

I was just about to yell at Ron for being an absolute git, but Professor McGonagall arrived then, and she opened the door. Ron and Hermione were sending daggers at each other, and when we sat down at the back, they didn't look or talk to each other.

When the bell rang, McGonagall called, "Wait a moment!" Everyone sat back down, wondering what was happening. "As your all in my House, all permission slips should be handed to me before Halloween. Miss Ride, you can hand your in for the next visit," she added. "Ask her now!" Iggy hissed to Harry. "But-" Hermione started, but Ron interrupted her. "Go for it Harry," he said stubbornly.

As Harry started making his way towards McGonagall's desk, the five of us waited outside the door. It was really awkward, as no one was talking and Ron and Hermione were sending death glares at each other. "Oh for Merlin sake!" I snapped after about five minutes. "Ron! Get over it, alright? Crookshanks is a cat, and cats chase rats! Do you understand? Get-over-it! Hermione, I know you love Crookshanks, but a cat is no reason to lose a friend. Do you both understand?" Both Ron and Hermione were hesitant, but they both nodded. "Good!" I said.

We waited a few more seconds before Harry came back out. "How'd it go?" Fang asked. Harry shook his head, and said, "Nothing she could do. Oh, and Max, she told me to tell you something." I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "She wants to make sure that you remember that your banned from this trip and that you can't go. And not to try sneaking out." I rolled my eyes, and said, "I wouldn't try to sneak out with Dementors at every entrance."

Ron and Iggy started calling McGonagall all different names that made me laugh, and made Hermione purse her lips and glare at them.

"You know," Iggy said, looking at me and Harry, "There's always the feast. You know, the Halloween feast." Harry nodded, still looking a bit depressed. I didn't mind not going. I knew I would be able to go to the next one, but Harry didn't have much of a chance of ever going there as a student at Hogwarts. During our next class (Charms) Harry had to sit there and endure everyone talking happily about what they were going to do when they got to Hogsmeade.

When we went back to the common room after dinner that night, a lot of people offered to help Harry. Dean Thomas offered to forge Harry's uncles' signature, but Harry had already told McGonagall that he never signed the form.

Someone else who wanted to help him was Percy. I was sitting with Harry when Percy came over.

"You know, you two won't be missing much. Not much of a fuss, if I'm honest. There's Honeydukes, which really is amazing, and all the sweets are brilliant and delicious. Oh, and there's the joke shop, Zonkos which is dangerous, and the Shrieking Shack which would be worth a visit. But other then that, your not missing much."

"Oh, jeez, thanks Percy. Here, do us a favor, and stop talking and go away," I said, putting my head into my hands. I heard Percy spluttering, but eventually he left us alone.

* * *

><p>I woke up on Halloween morning and after a fast shower, I got changed into jeans and a plain shirt, and pulled my robes on over that. I went down to breakfast with all the others, and turned around when I heard someone calling my name on the marble staircase.<p>

"Hey Ethan!" I said, beaming at him. Ethan St James was a tall, Ravenclaw boy **_(have I put Ethan in this one already? i can't remember...) _**with dark brown hair, and light hazel eyes. "How have you been?" I asked. Around the end of last year, Ethan's little sister died. I never really got to talk to him much after that.

"We've been alright," he said. "Exited for Hogsmeade?" he asked. I grinned and said, "I can't go. Got banned from the first weekend trip." Ethan rolled his eyes, and got a look on his face as if he expected it. "What'd you do?" he said. "I refused to help the weasel that is known as Malfoy in Potions and I might of said some things to Snape that ticked him off...Oh well, it was worth it," I laughed.

"That's just you though," he smirked. Before I could say another word, I heard Hermione shouting, "Max! Where did you go?"

I looked at Ethan. "I'm sorry. I'll see you later?" He nodded and said, "Of course." I smiled, then ran down to Hermione. "Where were you?" she asked. "I was talking. I have a life you know." Before she got the chance to ask who I was talking to, we were in the Great Hall, and I had already sat down and was shoveling food into my mouth. I saw Ethan walk in with other Ravenclaw boy's and he waved at me. When he saw how much food was in my mouth, he laughed and shook his head fondly. Something about that made my stomach flutter.

"It's alright, Harry. We can get you loads of things from Honeydukes," Hermione was saying. I coughed loudly, and Hermione said, "Yeah, we'll get you stuff too."

"We'll bring you loads of sweets, Harry. And Max," Fang said, looking at me in an afterthought. "Yeah, loads," Ron said, bits of egg flying from his mouth.

"Don't worry about me," Harry said, "I'll be alright. Me and Max will find something to do, right? We'll see you later. Have fun." When I finished, I stood up and me and Harry accompanied the others to the door, where Filch was checking people's names on a long piece of parchment. "Staying here?" Malfoy shouted across the Entrance Hall. "Bit scared of passing the Dementors?"

I opened my mouth to shout at him, but Harry grabbed my hand, and dragged me up the stairs. "Why didn't you let me do something to him?" I growled. "McGonagall was walking out of the Great Hall. You would of gotten into more trouble," he said, his jaw clenched.

We didn't talk much on our way to Gryffindor tower. There was still anger rushing through me, but Harry seemed to have calmed down considerably. One thing I liked about Harry, he could control his temper when it mattered. Wonder how long that would last.

I gave the password to the Fat Lady, and Harry let me climb in first. When we walked in, we found the place almost deserted, with the exception of a few people that were under third-year, and a few older students that probably were bored of Hogsmeade, or like me, and they were banned from the first one. There was a cluster of first-years by the windows, and when I didn't see Nudge, I looked away. She must be in the library or something...

"Harry! Harry! Max!" Harry and I turned towards the chairs by the fire, where a few second-years were sitting. One of them being Colin Creevey, who idolized Harry. "Why aren't you at Hogsmeade, Harry? Why didn't you go? The both of you can sit with us if you like," Colin said, indicating to the seats beside him and his friends. His friends started nodding happily. Honestly, him and his friends and his friends would be best friends with Nudge.

"Er, no thanks, Colin," I said. Harry gave me a frantic look, and I said, "Me and Harry were just getting something. We need to go to the, er, library!" I said, looking at Harry with a smile. "Yeah, the library. Thats where were going," Harry said, avoiding looking at anyone in the eye. The only people Harry could lie to were people who he hated. While Colin was loud and annoying, I don't think Harry actually hated him.

After that, we had no time choice but to back out the portrait hole. The Fat Lady wasn't happy about it, and we could still hear her shouts as we walked down the corridor.

"Are we actually going to the library?" I whined as we climbed the stairs that led to the library. "It's where you said you wanted to go," Harry said, grinning. "I don't want to work!" I whimpered, sounding like a child. "Where else can we go?" Harry asked, stopping in his tracks. I shrugged and said, "Lets just walk."

We started walking around the corridors, looking for something fun to do. We turned a corner and came face to face with Filch, who was looking annoyed about something. "What are you two doing?" he snarled.

"Nothing," I said. "Nothing? Likely story. Why aren't you with the other children in Hogsmeade, buying things like Dungbombs, to make my life more difficult?" he snapped, sounding suspicious. "Okay, calm down. We weren't doing anything bad, Filch. Just walking. And honestly I don't think its any of your business why we didn't go to Hogsmeade," I said, not breaking eye-contact with Filch. "You watch your mouth, missy," Filch growled. I didn't flinch or blink. This seemed to throw him off, and he ended up shouting, "Go back to your common room where you belong!"

I smiled at him, and strolled down the corridor, my hair flying behind me. Harry had to jog to catch up with me. "How do you do that?" he asked, looking astounded. "Do what?" I asked.

"Talk like that to a teacher and not get into any trouble! The only teacher that would punish you is Snape!" I frowned, not having thought of that before. "I don't know. Maybe because I have a really lovable personality, and Snape is the only one that doesn't see it," I smirked. Harry snorted.

"Should we go to the Owlery? Visit Hedwig and Freedom, and even Grenade and Stygian," Harry suggested. I nodded. Freedom was my gorgeous brown and white owl, Hedwig was Harry's snowy white owl, and Grenade was Iggy's brown one, and Stygian was Fang's black owl.

We walked another few corridors, talking and laughing easily, when a door to the left on one of the corridors opened, and Professor Lupin stuck his head out, and looked around.

"Harry? Max?" he asked in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought today was a Hogsmeade weekend?"

"There is," I said. Lupin looked at us and a look of sadness passed his face. "Why don't you two come in?" he said. Harry and I looked at each other, and after a moments hesitation, we both nodded. Lupin stepped out of the way for us to walk past him. We stepped into his office and looked around.

In the corner of the office, there was a large tank full of water. Inside was a sickly green creature with sharp little horns surrounding it's face, and it was making faces at us as we walked further into the office. "What's that?" I asked. "That is a Grindylow," Lupin said.

"A what?"

"A Grindylow. There water demons, similar to the Kappas. The trick with the Grindylow's is to break they're grip. Look at his hands- strong, but brittle." I stared at the tank of water, and the Grindylow was sneering, and making rude gestures. Lupin chuckled fondly, and gestured for us to sit in the spare armchairs on the other side of his desk.

"Tea?" He asked. "I was just about to put on the kettle."

"Sure," I said. "Alright," Harry said awkwardly. Lupin pulled out two cups, and poured tea into them. He handed them to me and Harry, and I sipped it gratefully. It was so good, and so hot. Amazing.

"I'm afraid there only tea bags," he said, taking a gulp of his own tea. "Although I daresay you've both had enough of tea leaves." Something sparkled in Lupin's eyes as he looked at us, and he smiled when I chocked on my tea at his words. "How do you know about that?" Harry asked, thumping my back. "McGonagall told me all about it. Your not worried, are you?" he asked, looking at me and Harry.

"No," I said. "To me, Divination is a load of s-" Harry elbowed me in the ribs before I finished the sentence. Lupin snickered and asked, "What about you, Harry? Are you afraid of what Trelwany said?"

"No. I don't believe it," Harry said. A troubled look crossed his face, and Lupin asked, "Something troubling you, Harry?"

"Er, no," Harry said. But he was lying. After a moments silence, Harry said, "Yes. Why did you stop me fighting the Boggart in the first class?" I've been wondering that as well, but I never said anything. I didn't want Harry knowing that people had noticed that he got stopped facing the Bogart.

Lupin frowned. "I thought that was obvious, Harry." Harry frowned, and put his cup on Lupin's desk. "Why?" he asked. Before Lupin could answer, I said, "Because it could of been Lord Voldemort."

"Precisely, Max. I assumed it would take the form of Lord Voldemort, and I'm sure you would agree when I say that having him in a classroom wouldn't be a good thing," Lupin said. The only people I've ever heard saying Voldemort's name was myself, Harry, Dumbledore, Fang and Iggy. "I did think of Voldemort, but then I thought of the Dementors."

"Ah, I see," Lupin said. "That's very clever Harry. That means the thing you fear the most of all, is fear itself." Harry just drank more tea. "If you don't mind me asking, Max," Lupin said, "Why do you fear that, er, wolf type creature?"

I swallowed, and said, "Em, something that happened to me when I was younger." I avoided any eye contact, and drank more tea. Lupin frowned, and said, "Of course. Forgive me, it wasn't my place to ask."

"Your right, it wasn't. But it's fine. I don't mind," I said, draining my tea and leaving it on the desk.

"Professor Lupin," Harry said, thankfully changing the subject, "You know the Dementors-"

There was a knock on the door, and Harry turned around in his chair. "Come in," Lupin said lazily. I looked over my shoulder to see Professor Snape standing in the open doorway, holding a large, smoking goblet in his hands. "Ah, Severus," Lupin said, standing up. "If you could just leave that on my desk, if you don't mind." Snape walked further into the room, and left the goblet on the table.

There was an awkward silence. Lupin broke it by saying, "I was just showing Max and Harry my Grindylow for the next Defense class."

Snape couldn't look any less interested. "Fascinating," he drawled. He turned to leave, but he wheeled around, then said, "You should drink that directly."

"Of course I will," Lupin said, smiling. "I made a whole cauldron full," Snape said. He looked at me and Harry before saying, "Just in case." Lupin's smile widened, and he said, "I think it would be best if I take more tomorrow. Thank you very much, Severus." Snape nodded, and without a smile, or another word, he walked out of the office, then closed the door behind him.

Harry and I shared a scared look. It was easy to see that Snape hated all the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, but even Snape wouldn't poison a teacher...Would he?

I looked at Lupin, and glanced from the goblet to him. Lupin chuckled. "Professor Snape has very kindly agreed to make me this potion. I've never been much useful at potions, and I much admit this one is quite complicated." I frowned. "Why do you need to take it?" I asked, not really thinking. Lupin grinned darkly, and answered, "I've been feeling a bit off color lately. The potion helps."

I looked at Harry. He looked like he only wanted to knock it clean off the table. Knowing him, he probably would. That boy has done some crazy things. And that's coming from me, the girl that can fly and beat up fully grown men.

"Snape really likes the Dark Arts," Harry blurted. I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to slap him.

"Really?" Lupin said vaguely, drinking the potion. I saw Harry gulp, and I watched Lupin closely. Lupin made a face, and said, "Disgusting."

"Some people say that he'd do anything to get the Dark's Arts job," Harry plundered on. Lupin drained the goblet, and looked like he was going to be sick. "That really has a horrible taste. Well, Harry and Max, I need to get back to work. This was nice, and I'm sure I'll see you at the feast later. Goodbye," Lupin said.

"Right, bye," I said, standing up. Harry stood beside me, and together, we left Lupin's office.

* * *

><p>We went back to the common room, and thankfully, the second-years were gone. There was only three seventh-years over in the corner, doing homework, and me and Harry spent the rest of the afternoon playing Exploding Snap.<p>

At dusk, everyone calm back from Hogsmeade. Ron, Hermione, Fang and Iggy sat down in the empty seats beside us and dumped handfuls of brightly colored sweets into me and Harry's laps. "Thanks!" I said, opening an Acid Drop and sticking it into my mouth. "Cheers," Harry said. "Where did you guys go?"

Everywhere, the way they said it. When they finished talking about every shop in Hogsmeade, Hermione asked, "What about you two? Did you do any work?"

"Nope," I said, kicking my feet up onto the couch behind Fang's back. Hermione looked scandalized, but before she went into lecture mode, Harry said, "Lupin made us tea in his office. Then Snape came in..." Harry explained what had happened in Lupin's office, and when he was done, Iggy gasped, "Is he mental? _He_ _actually drank it!"_

I nodded and said, "That's what I was thinking. He would have to be mental to trust Snape."

Fang checked his watch, and said, "The feast is starting soon. We should go down."

We walked down to the Great Hall. As we walked in, we saw the whole place decorated with pumpkins, live bats and bright streamers. We sat down, and when the food appeared on the plates, we all tucked in.

The food was amazing. Even the others, who were full with food from Hogsmeade, ate second-helpings. The flock, who always ate more then the average human, were full to bursting at the end of the feast. At the end of the feast, the Hogwarts ghosts provided entertainment. When the ghosts floated away, the six of us followed the other Gryffindors out of the Great Hall and up to the common room.

When we reached the corridor where the Fat Lady's portrait was, it was littered with Gryffindor students, crowding the corridor. "What's going on?" Ron asked. I shrugged. Both Harry and Fang went on their tiptoes to see what was happening. "The portrait hole isn't open," Harry said. "What, everyone forgot the password?" I said. I went on my tiptoes, and shouted over the many heads in front of me, "Hey morons! The password is Fortuna Major!"

"We know that!" Someone shouted back. "Then bloody say it!" Iggy yelled. Before the girl could shout back, Ginny and Nudge came from the crowd and stopped in front of us. "They can't give the password," Ginny said. "Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Look for yourself. It freaked me out. I didn't think something like that could ever happen. Could it? Well, it must be, seeing as it has happened now. Can we ever get in there now? I hope so. I left all my homework in my dormitory! McGonagall would kill me if I don't hand in the essay! What-"

"Nudge!" Iggy snapped. "My ears are bleeding!" She stopped talking, but she was used to getting comments like this, so she didn't get insulted.

A second later, Dumbledore appeared, and he pushed his way through the crowd towards the top of the corridor. We followed him, and we ended up right in front of the portrait. Or, what used to be the portrait.

"Oh, Merlin!" Hermione gasped.

The Fat Lady was no longer there. The whole portrait had been slashed so badly that bits of it littered the floor at my feet. Dumbledore surveyed the painting, then turned when McGonagall, Snape,and Lupinappeared beside him. "We need to find her," he said somberly. "Minerva, please find Filch and tell him to search every painting in the castle until he finds the Fat Lady."

"Good luck with that!" said a cackling voice. It was Peeves. He was bobbling overhead, looking delighted at all the worry that was going on. "What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked. Peeves stopped laughing. He would never say anything taunting to Dumbledore. "Your headship, she's ashamed. Doesn't want to be seen. Peeves saw her running through the painting on the fourth floor. Poor thing," he added, not sounding sad at all.

"Did she say who did this, Peeves?"

"Oh, yes your headship. Got angry when she didn't let him in. Awful temper that man has, that Sirius Black."

_**Sorry this is so bad. I'll do better, promise :)**_

**_Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! :)_**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

_**-Rach ;)**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**How is everyone? **_

_**Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter :)**_

_**CHRISTMAS IS NEXT WEEK! YAY!**_

_**Here's the next chapter!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

We were all sent to the Great Hall. The Gryffindor students were only there for a few short minutes before we were joined by everyone from Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, and all of them were really confused. I spotted Ethan in the crowd with his friends, and when he saw me staring at him, he came over and said, "Max, what's happening? Flitwick came into our common room and told us we had to go here. He said it was an emergency."

I grimaced, and said, "Sirius Black tried to get into the Gryffindor common room." Ethan gasped, and was soon joined by his friends. "Are you serious?" Ethan asked. "What is it? What happened?" one of his friends asked. "Sirius Black is in the castle," Ethan told him. They all started whispering, and gasping.

"The teachers need to undertake a search on the castle," Dumbledore said, as the other teachers started closing the doors. "I'm afraid, for everyone's safety, that you will all have to sleep here tonight. I ask the prefects to stand guard outside, and I will leave the Head Boy and Girl in charge of everything in here. If anything should happen, it should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking very important, with his chest puffed out.

Dumbledore walked towards the doors, and before he left, he turned around and said, "Ah, yes, you'll be needing..." He waved his wand, and the hall was suddenly full with sleeping bags, and the four house tables were pushed up against the wall. "Sleep well," Dumbledore beamed, and closed the door behind him.

Straight away, a buzzing sound filled the hall. The Gryffindor's were telling the other houses what happened. Ethan looked at me, and said, "I'm going to go over there. I'll see you later, Max." He smiled at the other five, and followed his friends over to the other side of the hall, where the Ravenclaw table usually was.

"Everyone pick a sleeping bag and get into them! Got to sleep!" Percy shouted. I noticed a girl standing next to him, who must of been the Head Girl, rolling her eyes. Finally, someone who had responsibility equal to Percy, who didn't like him. I loved that girl.

"C'mon," Fang said, and we followed him to where the sleeping bags were left. We all grabbed one each, and went to the furthest corner in the hall.

"Do you think Black is still in the castle?" Hermione asked, taking off her robes, staying in her jumper, and putting it under her head, using it as a pillow. "Dumbledore thinks so," Iggy said, staring at the ceiling. "It's lucky he picked tonight," I said. They all stared at me. "Think of it. Tonight was the Halloween feast, so we were in the Hall longer then usual. If it was any other night, everyone would of been in the common room."

"Reckon he lost track of time," Ron yawned. "Didn't know that it was Halloween. If he knew, he could of come bursting into the hall."

Hermione shuddered, and pulled the sleeping bag up to her chin.

We stayed quiet, listening to everyone else talking. It was all the same thing. How did he get in?

A Ravenclaw not that far away was saying, "Maybe he knows how to Apparate. You know, appear out of no where." A Hufflepuff said, "He could of disguised himself." "Flown in," Dean Thomas said. Hermione scoffed, and said, "Really, am I the only one that's read Hogwarts, A History?" Together, the five of us all said, "Yup."

"Why?" Fang asked. "There are more things then just walls protecting this castle, you know. Enchantments, you know. To stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in, or Disapparate out. And remember what Dumbledore said at the start of the year? No disguise can fool the Dementors. Also, they'd would be able to see anyone flying over the walls. And Filch knows all the secret passageways, he has them all covered."

"The lights are going out now!" Percy yelled. "Everyone stop talking and go to sleep!"

"Hey, Percy," I shouted. "Shut the bloody hell up!" There was laughter around the hall, and Percy glared at me. He opened his mouth to yell at me, but all the candles went out, and the hall was dissolved in darkness. The only light was from the ghosts, floating around the room and talking to the prefects occasionally, and the enchanted ceiling above us, shining with stars. There was still whispering around the Hall.

About half an hour later, I could hear Iggy snoring beside me. Every hour or so, a teacher would come in to check that everything was alright. When it was three in the morning, many people had fallen asleep. I was finding it impossible to close my eyes. It was only Iggy that had fallen asleep out of the six of us, but I think Ron was close to falling asleep.

The doors to the Great Hall opened, and Professor Dumbledore strolled in. He walked right up to Percy, who had taken to walking around people's sleeping bags, and telling them off if they were still asleep.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy asked in his best I'm-so-brilliant voice. "I'm afraid not, Mr Weasley. All is well here?" Dumbledore said.

"I have everything under control, sir."

"Good. There is no point in bringing everyone back to their common rooms now. I have found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor common room. You can escort them back first thing in the morning."

"And what of the Fat Lady, sir?"

"She's hiding in a painting on the second floor. She told us that Sirius Black tried to get in, but she wouldn't let him in without the password, so he attacked. She is highly distressed, but Mr Filch agreed that once she has calmed down, he will restore her."

The door creaked open once more, and there was more footsteps to where Dumbledore and Percy were standing. "Headmaster?" It was Snape's drawling voice. "All of the third floor has been searched. There was no sign of him there. Filch searched the dungeons. He wasn't there either."

"What about the Astronomy Tower? Or Sybil's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched. Nothing."

"Very well. Thank you Severus. I never expected Black to linger."

"Have you any thoughts on how Black managed to get into the castle, Headmaster?" Snape asked.

I raised my head slightly to hear better. "I have many theories, Severus, and each are as unlikely as the next."

I opened my eyes a small bit, and saw that Snape was looking furious. "I'm sure you remember the conversation we had before this term started," Snape said, barely moving his lips, probably trying to block Percy from the conversation. "Of course I do Severus," Dumbledore said, with a hint of warning in his voice.

"It seems impossible that Black entered the castle without any help, Headmaster. I did express my thoughts with you when I found out you appointed-"

"I have no reason to believe that anybody in this school would aid Sirius Black enter," Dumbledore said, with a tone that made it clear that there should be no more comments on the matter. "I need to talk to the Dementors," he went on. "I need to tell them that our search is complete."

Dumbledore walked out of the Hall, and Snape stayed standing for a moment, watching the back of Dumbledore's head with resentment. After a moment, he followed Dumbledore out of the Hall. Percy stood there, looking so proud of himself that he was involved in a conversation like that one. Merlin, he was so thick.

I glanced sideways at Harry, Ron, Hermione and Fang. Iggy was snoring quietly beside Ron.

"What was that about?" Fang asked.

* * *

><p>For the next few days, the entire school talked of nothing but Sirius Black. Peoples theories of how he entered the school became wilder, and frankly, just plain stupid. Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff girl in our year, was saying that Black was able to take the appearance of a flowery shrub. I even heard Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw boy that was friends with Ethan, saying, "I reckon that Black turned into a Christmas tree, and waited for someone to take it inside, you know, seeing as its close to Christmas." Honestly, I thought the Ravenclaws were the smart ones!<p>

The Fat Lady's ripped painting was removed from the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat grey pony. Nobody likes this very much. Sir Cadogan spent most of the day challenging people to duels, and the rest of the time making up stupid password, and he changed the password at least three times a day.

"He's a nutter," Iggy told Percy one night in the common room. "Why didn't you get someone else?"

"The other paintings all heard what happened to the Fat Lady, and were too scared to do the job. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to do it."

Over the next few days, I noticed the teachers were paying more attention to Harry. They would watch him as we walked down the corridor, and out of the corner of they're eyes, they'd watch him during class. Also, Percy Weasley, probably on the orders of Mrs Weasley, was following Harry in the corridors like an annoying dog.

To top everything that was happening to him, Harry was called into McGonagall's office when we were walking past on our way to lunch. Ron, Hermione, Fang, Iggy and I waited outside the office door. After a couple of minutes, I heard Harry's outraged voice saying, "But Professor, our first match is on Saturday! I've got to train!"

I felt my stomach flip. I rarely got nervous, but I didn't want to let my House down.

There was more silence for a few minutes, then the door opened, and Harry walked out, followed by McGonagall. When she saw all of us waiting, she said, "Come on now, down to lunch." We walked to the Great Hall. When we sat down, Fang asked, "What was that about?"

"McGonagall told me that Black is after me. I told her I already knew, but then she wanted me to stop practicing Quidditch. I convinced her I needed to go, but now Madam Hooch will be at all the training sessions."

"That doesn't matter, Harry! Were still going to smash Slytherin in the match on Saturday," I said, wolfing down my food.

"Yeah, Slytherin don't stand a chance."

* * *

><p>Gradually, over the rest of the week, the weather got worse and worse. Not even phased by this, the Gryffindor team only trained harder and harder under the supervision of Madam Hooch. On the final training session before the match, Oliver Wood came into the changing rooms, looking outraged.<p>

"Were not going to be playing Slytherin!" he said, looking furious. "Flint just told me. Were playing Hufflepuff."

"Why?" The twins asked, followed by the rest of the team. "Flint is saying that his Seeker is still injured," Wood said. "That's not true!" I said, standing beside Wood. "They just don't want to play in this weather!" Wood nodded and said, "I know Max. There's nothing we can do though. Flint told Madam Hooch that Malfoy's arm hasn't fully recovered."

"Malfoy's arm is fine! He's faking it!" Harry snapped, outraged. "We all know that, but there isn't anything we can do to prove it," Wood said. "And we've spent the last few weeks practicing all these moves thinking we were playing Slytherin. Hufflepuff have a completely different style. They have a new Seeker, and captain. Cedric Diggory-"

Angelina and Katie both started giggling. "What?" Wood asked, not liking the sudden lighthearted behavior.

"Cedric is the tall, good-looking one, right?" Katie said.

"Silent, strong and handsome," Angelina said, and they both started giggling again. I rolled my eyes,and smirked at the girly behavior.

"Only silent because he's too thick to put two words together," Fred said. I've never heard him talk so seriously. "Don't worry about it, Oliver. Hufflepuff are easy. Last time we played them, and Harry had the Snitch caught in about five minutes."

"That was in different conditions!" Wood yelled, a mad glint in his eyes. "Diggory put a really good team together! And he's an amazing Seeker. We can't relax! We need to keep focus! We have to win!"

"Oliver! Calm down!" I said, kind of alarmed. "We'll win. Don't worry. We'll win this."

The Friday before the match, the winds had reached howling point, and the rain was battering against the windows. It got so dark in the castle that the teachers had to light more torches and lamps. The only happy looking people to be seen in the castle were the Slytherins, especially Malfoy.

"Oh dear, if only my arm was better!" he would exclaim whenever he past anyone that was on the Gryffindor team.

There was no space in any of our minds to be thinking of anything. In between every class, Oliver Wood would run up to me and Harry and give us tips for the match the next day. The third time this happened, the other went on without us, and it was only me, Harry and Oliver left in the corridor. It took me a few minutes to realize that we were several minutes late for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I whacked Harry and showed him my watch. We both started running down the hall, leaving Oliver where he standing, saying, "Harry, Diggory has a fast swerve so you need to loop around him!"

I skidded to a stop outside the Dark Arts classroom, Harry behind me, puffing for air. I pulled open the door and rushed inside, and Harry closed it after he came through. "Sorry were late, Professor Lupin, we-" I started, but the words dyed in my mouth. It wasn't Lupin standing at the front of the class.

It was Snape.

"This lesson began fifteen minutes ago, Potter, Ride. Twenty points from Gryffindor. Sit down."

Neither me or Harry moved. "Why are you here?" I asked, not caring what Snape would do to me. Snape glared at me, but didn't say anything. "Where's Professor Lupin?" Harry asked. Snape glared at the both of us, then said, "Professor Lupin is feeling ill today. Now sit down." Neither of us moved. "What's wrong with him?" we both asked at the same time. Snape's eyes flashed dangerously. "Nothing life threatening. Ten more points from Gryffindor, and if you don't do as I tell you, it will be fifty."

Harry and I shared a look, then sat at the back of the class.

"As I was saying before we were interrupted, Professor Lup

in has failed to leave any note on what you've covered so far-"

"Sir, we've covered Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows," Hermione said, ticking them off her finger as she said them.

"Miss Granger, I was not asking for information. I was commenting on Professor Lupin's poor organization skills. Today, we shall be discussing..." Snape started flicking through the textbook in front of him, and when he landed on a page, he smirked darkly. Oh boy, this won't be good.

"...Werewolves," he drawled. Oh brilliant. Of all the animals he had to pick, it was freaking werewolves. Bloody freaking fantastic.

"But sir," Hermione said from the seat in front of me, "Were were just about to start on Hinkeypunks."

"Miss Granger, I thought I was the one teaching this class, not you. And I'm telling you all to open your books to page 394!" he snapped. With a lot of hatred muttering, everyone scrambled to get their books from their bags. Fang and Iggy looked at me from the seats in front of us, and we shared a dark look. We weren't the biggest fans of wolf like creatures. Together, the three of us stacked our hands under the table, and tapped them each. We grinned, and opened our books.

"Are any of you able to tell me what the difference between a real wolf, and a werewolf," Snape asked. Hermione's hand shot into the air, and after a moments though, I put my hand up as well. Hermione makes me read the textbooks before I go to sleep at night. That girl will make a great politician when she's older. She has a way of making stubborn people (such like me) do anything she wanted.

"No one?" Snape said, ignoring me and Hermione's hands. I coughed loudly and obviously, but he still ignored us. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even told you the simple difference between-"

"We haven't gotten to werewolves yet. Hermione told you everything we've covered," Fang snapped. Him and Hermione were very close and he always stuck up for her when someone said anything bad about her.

"Quiet Martinez!" Snape snarled. "I never thought I'd see a third-year class that could't tell the difference-"

"Please, sir. They differ in many small ways. One way is that the snout of the werewolf-," Hermione started, her hand still in the air, but Snape interrupted her. "That is the second time you've interrupted my class, Miss Granger. Five points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all." Hermione put her head down, her cheeks flaming, and tears in her eyes.

Rage flooded through me. I couldn't believe him! What a- what a- I couldn't even think of an insult good enough for him!

"You asked her a question, and she knew it," Ron said. "Why did you ask if you didn't want to know the answer?"

Snape advanced on Ron, and glared at him. "Detention, Weasley. If you ever question the way I teach again, you'll be very sorry."

For the rest of the class, we took notes notes on werewolves. As I read about them, I couldn't help but be reminded of something. And it wasn't the Erasers...But every time I came close to the answer, it slipped away.

At the end of class, Snape told us to write an essay about werewolves, and he made Ron stay back to give him his detention. We waited outside for him, and when he came out, he was furious. "Can you guess what that- " he called Snape a name that made me burst into laughter, and Hermione say, `Ron!' - "Is making me do? I have to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing! Without magic! Wish Black could of broken into Snape's office! Finish him off for all of us!"

* * *

><p>The next morning, I woke up early. My wings were stretched out behind me. I always let them out when I was sleeping, and I closed the curtains so Lavender and Pavarti couldn't see. I listened to the howling wind, and the battering of the rain on the windows for a few minutes, then I checked the time. It was seven o'clock. I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, so I sat up, folded my wings tight into my back, and changed into my uniform. I'll put the Quidditch robes on in the changing rooms.<p>

I grabbed my Nimbus from under my bed, and went down the common room. I expected it to be empty, but Harry was sitting on the couch, holding his own Nimbus. "Why are you down here so early?" I asked. He looked up and smiled. "Couldn't sleep. Peeves came into our dormitory at half past four and woke me up. Couldn't get back to sleep after that, so I came down here."

"You've been here since half past four?" I laughed. Harry nodded, "Pretty much, yeah." I rolled my eyes. "What have you been doing all the time?" I asked. "Stopping Crookshanks from going up to our dormitory," Harry smiled. "That's just sad, Harry."

"Yeah, I know."

We passed the rest of the morning just talking. He told me about his relatives, the Dursley's, and how they would treat him. I told his some to less horrible stories of the school. We passed stories all morning, and before we knew it, it was time for breakfast. We walked down to the Great Hall with the rest of the school. As we walked out of the portrait hole, Sir Cadogan shouted, "Stop, dear sir and gentle lady! Stop and fight!"

"Oh shut up!" Harry snapped. I turned around and whacked the painting with my broomstick, then walked away, smiling at the screams from Sir Cadogan.

The rain seemed to have gotten worse from the night before. When the team met in the Entrance Hall, we all sprinted down to the changing rooms. I was soaking wet a minute after we left the shelter of the school. When we finally reached the changing rooms, we all changed in silence, shivering with the cold. I pulled my wet hair into a messy ponytail, and pulled back my fringe so it was out of my eyes.

We waited for Oliver's pre- match pep talk, but Oliver seemed to have lost the ability to speak. He tried many times, but nothing would work. Eventually, he just nodded at everyone, and led us to the pitch.

The wind was so strong we were barely able to stand upright as we walked across the pitch to probable enormous applause. We wouldn't know whether people clapped or not, as the wind was blocking out all noise. The HUfflepuffs were already there, and a tall boy with soft brown hair and grey eyes standing in the front. Him and Oliver shook hands, and he went back to his team. So that was Cedric Diggory. Now I know what Angelina and Katie were talking about. Not too shabby...

Madam Hooch mouthed the words "Mount your brooms." I swung my leg over my broom, and when I saw Madam Hooch blow into the whistle, I kicked off extra hard them usual, and soared into the air.

_**Hey, so sorry it was kinda long. Hope it was good!**_

**_Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! :)_**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

_**-Rach ;)**_


	11. The Match of Defeat

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Here's is the new chappie!**_

_**This is probably my last update until after Christmas, so I wish everyone a very happy and brilliant Christmas! **_

_**Merry Christmas to everyone! :) :D xxx**_

**_Thanks for the reviews :)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

In a matter of seconds, I was soaked to the skin. My Nimbus was swerving left and right with the wind. I was holding onto the neck of the broom so hard my knuckles were turning white. I could barely see anything, all the rain was going straight into my eyes. There was no way I would be able to throw a Quaffle in this wind, and with the rain, I would be able to see anything.

Within the first five minutes, I was frozen. Miraculously, Katie managed to score after ten minutes. Angelina had gotten the Quaffle of the Hufflepuff Chaser, and flung it to me. I barely managed to caught it, my fingers were so numb. The three Chaser from Hufflepuff blocked me, the Beaters came behind me. I saw that Katie was free, so I hurled it to her. She was close to the goals and managed to get it past the Keeper. Over the noise of the wind, I doubt anyone noticed.

I lost track of time, and the score. Angelina and I both scored a good few times after Katie, but Hufflepuff scored as well. It was getting harder and harder to keep my broomstick still, and the sky was getting darker and darker. More then once, I almost hit another player. I think one of them was Harry. Oops.

There was a flash of lightning, and there was a moment of silence, that followed by the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle. I briefly saw Wood's outline, gesturing for us to go to the ground. Me and the rest of the team splashed to the ground. Everyone was covered in mud. "I called for a time-out!" Wood shouted. We all crowded under a large umbrella, shivering. Harry took off his glasses and rubbed them on a clean part of his robes.

"What's the score?" I asked. "Were fifty points up, thanks you guys," Wood said, grinning. But then the grin was gone, and he was the same old Wood as always. "Unless the Snitch is caught soon though, we'll be playing into the night."

"I don't have a chance of seeing anything with these on," Harry said, pointing to his glasses. I smirked and said, "Funny, I thought glasses were meant to help your eyesight." Harry and Oliver glared at me. Right, not the time to make jokes. At that moment, Hermione appeared at my shoulder, smiling. "I've got an idea! Harry, give me your glasses," she said, practically jumping with happiness.

Harry, looking confused, handed her his round glasses. She grabbed them and pulled out her wand. She tapped his glasses, and said, "_Impervius!"_

"There," she said, smiling. "Now they repel water!"

I thought Wood was going to kiss her. She smiled again at the team, and ran back to the stands. "Brilliant!" he said hoarsely. "Okay! Lets go for it!"

Full of new determination, I kicked off the ground again into the pouring rain. For some reason, Harry and I started flying in sync. We swerved together, and turned. If I got the Quaffle, I would either score, or pass it on, and he would still be at my side. It felt right.

There was a bang of thunder, and a flash of lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. "Harry!" I bellowed. "You need to get the freaking Snitch soon! I kinda don't want to die!" "I know!" Harry yelled. We both turned, and another fork of lightening illuminated part of the stand. Harry and I both saw something that took our minds off of the match completely.

There was a huge, shaggy, black dog sitting in the deserted seats at the top. I looked over at Harry. He was staring at the dog with a horrified expression. He started sinking in the air a bit. When I looked back at where the dog was sitting, there wasn't anything there. It had vanished. "Harry!" Fred shouted from behind us. We turned around. Fred was pointing at Diggory, who was pelting off to the other side of the pitch, a small, glint of gold barely visible in the rain.

Without a moments hessitation, Harry shot after him. In the meantime, Katie yelled, "Max! Here!" She threw the Quaffle at me, and I caught it perfectly. I turned to the goalposts, but stopped dead.

There was an eerie silence falling over the whole pitch. Even the wind was now silent, though I could still feel it against my face. It seemed like I had suddenly gone deaf. What was happening?

Then, a terrible wave of coldness came over me. I became aware of something moving on the pitch below me.

There were at least a hundred Dementors walking on the pitch, there heads pointed towards Harry...and me.

It felt like there was frozen water sloshing about in my lungs. I couldn't breath. Then I heard it again- the screaming. A little girl, in terrible agony. This time though, there was more. Laughter, high, cold, heartless laughter. And the clink of metal on metal.

My eyes started drifting shut, but I saw something falling next to me. It was Harry. He had fallen off his broomstick. But, I saw him just there. He was really high up, trying to get the Snitch. Now he was falling, falling to his death.

Seeing this made all the cold leave my chest, and I was able to think clear again. The little girls screaming was fading, but nothing mattered except for Harry. He was surely going to die if he fell. People were now realizing what was happening, and started screaming. Without knowing what I was doing, I was leaning forward, as if hoping to catch Harry although he was far out of my reach. Okay, scratch what I said earlier, I was thinking that clearly.

My heart flew into my mouth as I fell sideways off my broomstick and towards the ground. My brain whirred into action,and I grabbed my broomstick in an attempt to keep myself from falling. This din't work though. I just dragged the Nimbus with me. I tried opening my wings, but they were crushed against my Quidditch uniform. It only made me hiss in pain.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact of the ground. But it wasn't as bad as I thought. I landed on the floor, but it felt like falling on a very thin mattress. I was going to be covered in bruises tomorrow.

I opened my eyes and saw a lot of people staring at me. Great. I closed my eyes again, suddenly feeling exhausted. The people around me were screaming, and talking loudly. I heard Dumbledore's deep, usually calm voice, shouting angrily at the Dementors close to me. That's something you don't hear every day.

I felt arms underneath me, and a sudden weightlessness came over me. Someone picked me up, and was carrying me. I heard Dumbledore's newly restored calm voice saying, "Mr Weasley, it would be much easier if you put Miss Ride on this." So one of the twins were carrying me. Whichever one it was, he walked over to Dumbledore's voice. I felt him shifting his arms, and then I fell from his arms, and into something small and soft. Probably a stretcher.

"Is she alright?" It was Fred. "She will be, after some rest in the hospital wing, and some chocolate. Dare I say, she will have many bruises in the morning," said Dumbledore.

The stretcher started moving. I managed to peel my eye's open. There were people walking around the pitch, talking in scared and annoyed voices. The Dementors were all gone. "Where...Dementors...?" I whispered. "Dumbledore got rid of them," Fred said. "Harry?" I asked. "He's over there," he said, pointing to huddle of people a few feet away. "Is he alright?" I asked.

"Should be. Dumbledore cast a spell to cushion the ground for Harry, then you fell, so he did it where you were going to land," Fred explained. "He's unconscious though," he continued after an after thought.

Before I could say another word, George, the members of the flock that were here, and Hermione and Ron ran over to where me and Fred were. "Max! Are you alright? What happened?" Hermione asked. "Omg, Max, are you hurt? You'd have to be, from falling that far off the ground. Harry's knocked out! Is he okay? Did you see those...things? They are so freaking creepy! No wonder you fell off your broom-"

"Nudge," Iggy said calmly, interrupting Nudge's rant. "Yeah?" Nudge said. "Shut the freaking hell up!" he snapped. Nudge fell silent.

"Miss Ride, I will escort you to the hospital wing," came Dumbledore's voice from behind me. "Can we go, sir?" Fang asked. "Of course, Mr Martinez. Although I must warn you that Madam Pomfrey might not let you into the hospital wing." "That's fine, sir."

I was brought up to the castle, and up the stairs towards the hospital wing. The doors were open, and Dumbledore stopped the stretcher by a bed at the end of the wing. He went to help me onto the bed, but I just said, "No, I can do it sir," I said. I stood up from the stretcher, and sat on the bed. The other filed around my bed, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Guys, chill. I'm not going to die," I said, amused at their scared expressions. "Well we worry Max," Hermione said. "You are our friend."

Just then, the doors opened, and McGonagall walked in, guiding a levitating stretcher. On the stretcher was Harry. "Harry!" I said. "Are you okay?" He didn't answer me. His eyes were closed. I looked at McGonagall. "Is he...?"

"Miss Ride, Potter will be perfectly fine in a few hours. He just needs rest and a lot of chocolate. And the same for you too," McGonagall said. She gave a stern look at the others, then looked at Madam Pomfrey. "Poppy, I think it would be best if the children that are in perfect health wait outside until Mr Potter and Miss Ride are able to have visitors"

"But-" I started, but McGonagall shook her head. "No, Max," she said. I was surprised she used my first name, not many of the teachers do. "I know you are a very stubborn child, but you need rest. You will be able to see your friends shortly. Now please go to sleep, Max. You'll be given chocolate when you wake up, and you will feel much, much better." I pouted slightly, but nodded nonetheless.

Hermione, Ron, Fang, Iggy and the twins filed out of the hospital wing, waving and smiling. Madam Pomfrey was bent over Harry, giving him a check-up. When she finished with him, she went over to me. "Are you feeling any pain anywhere?" she asked.

She pocked me in the stomach, and a small rush of pain went through me. I hissed, and said, "Ow!" Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "Your going to be covered in bruises. Bad ones, too. Thankfully, I have something that will take the pain from them go away," she said. She walked away, muttering about dangerous sports and reckless students.

I pulled the duvet over my muddy robes. Whoa...this was so warm...so comfortable...maybe I can sleep for a while...

My eyes snapped open. I was still lying in the bed in the hospital wing, and when I turned my head, I saw the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team sitting around mine and Harry's bed. Iggy, Ron, Hermione, Nudge and Fang were there too. The team were talking, looking at me and Harry. They didn't notice that I was awake. "Scariest thing I've seen... Thought they were goners," George was saying.

"Lucky Dumbledore softened the ground."

"But Harry didn't even break his glasses! And Max didn't hurt her-" Fred hit George in the ribs before he could finish the sentence. I knew George was about to say that I didn't even hurt my wings, which wasn't true. I landed right on them. I probably shouldn't fly on them for a while.

I sat up in the bed, and said, "If your finished talking about me." Everyone turned their heads to me at the exact same time, making it slightly comical. "Max!" Ron said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just tired," I answered. I was interrupted by a small groan from the bed beside mine. I looked over at Harry. His eyelids were flickering, and his fingers were twitching. He was waking up...Finally!

"Harry!" George exclaimed, getting everyone to look at Harry. His eyes were open, the bright emerald color standing out from the dirt and the mud on his face. "How are you feeling?" I saw Harry furrowing his eyebrows. Clearly he didn't remember what happened. "What happened?" he asked, sitting up so fast I thought he was going to go headbutt Katie, who was the closest to him.

"You fell off your broom. Must of been, what? Fifty feet?" Angelina said. "We thought you were going to die," Katie said, "Then Max tried to catch onto your hand, and she fell off her broom too. I heard Dumbledore saying that the Dementors affect you too, and that's why you fell."

I ignored the look Harry was giving me and looked at the flock. "Did you-" "Nudge fainted. Not for long, but she fainted," Fang said, looking at his shoes. I saw Nudge blush from under her mocha skin,and she looked down. She was ashamed. "Nudge," I said. She looked at me. "I want to talk to you later. Alright? In the library," I told her. She nodded, and remained silent. She must really feel bad.

"Are you two sure your alright? When I saw you both falling- I didn't think you guys would make it," Iggy said, his eyes starting to go red. Hermione squeaked a sob, putting her face in her hands fro a minute. When she let go of her face, her eyes were watery and bloodshot.

"But the match...?" Harry asked, still sending me death glares. Oh, I was going to get into so much trouble with him. He had no problem trying to save other people, but when someone else tries to save Harry Potter, oh no! It's a crime! Honestly, that boy had too much pride. Although, I'm not one to talk. I would never be a damsel in distress. Distressing, I could do. Damseling...not a chance in hell.

"What happened?" Harry pushed when no one answered him. "Do we get a rematch?" I looked into the faces of my teammates. There was nothing there but hopelessness.

"We...We didn't loose?" I gasped. George nodded grimly. "Diggory caught the Snitch. Just after you fell. He didn't know what was happening, and after he got the Snitch, you were already half-way to the ground. He tried calling it off, asking for a rematch. But they won fair and square. Even Oliver admits that."

"Where is Wood?" Harry asked, looking around. "Still in the showers," Fred said. I looked at my wristwatch. It was one o'clock in the afternoon. "The match was ages ago! How is he still in the showers? Is he trying to drown himself?" I asked. Fred nodded seriously, "That's what we think."

Harry and I shared devastating looks. He put his head in his hands, pulling at his hair. I fell back into my pillow, and closed my eyes, and groaned really loudly. "C'mon, guys. Don't beat yourselves up about it. You've never failed to win us a match before."

"There had to be one match we didn't win," George said.

"Besides, it's not over yet," Katie said. "We lost by a hundred points. You know what that means?"

"That if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw, and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."

"Hufflepuff would have to lose by at least two hundred points, though," Iggy said. "But if they beat Ravenclaw," Fred mused. "No, Ravenclaw are too good," I mumbled into my hands. "Slytherin would have to lose against Hufflepuff." Harry just sat in his bed, head in hands, not uttering a word as we discussed our chances of winning the House Cup.

There was a pain in my heart. In my very soul. We had lost a Quidditch match. For the first time ever, I lost a Quidditch match.

After another few minutes, Madam Pomfrey forced the team to leave. She let the others stay, if they promised to leave in twenty minutes.

"Dumbledore was so angry," Hermione said in a shaking voice. "He made the Dementors leave really fast. He took out his wand, and some silvery stuff shot out of it. He was so furious that they came into the grounds. We could hear him shouting." She shuddered.

Harry looked down again. Fang bent down to the ground, and disappeared from sight. Without looking at Harry, he handed me my Nimbus. "Thanks," I said in a hallow voice. Harry's head shot up,and he said, "Did anyone get my broomstick?" Ron, Hermione, Iggy, Ron and Nudge all glared at Fang. "What? I thought he wouldn't notice!" Fang snapped. "Well? Where is it?" Harry said, starting to look nervous and scared.

"Well, Harry..." Ron started.

"What happened?" Harry snapped.

"When you fell of your broom, er, it got blown away," Hermione said, tears in her eyes again. "Blown where?" Harry asked, his voice strangely high.

"It hit- it hit- Oh, Harry! It went straight into the Whomping Willow!" Hermione cried, reaching for a bag at the bottom of her feet, and turned it upside down on the end of Harry's bed. What came out of it was enough to make me gasp, and stare at Harry. It was a dozen pieces of splintered wood and twigs. On one of them, you could see the gold writing spelling out, Nimbus Two Thousand.

"Flitwick brought it back before you woke up," Ron said in a chocked voice.

Harry stared at his broom. The broom that had won his so many matches, got him through so much things, was now destroyed.

Harry sat on his bed, staring at the broken broomstick.

_**I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS**_

_**I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS**_

**_I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS _**

**_AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!_**

**_MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!_**

**_WHAT'S SANTA BRINGING EVERYONE? ;)_**

**_Have a good Christmas everyone, and enjoy the day :)_**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	12. The Fight

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

**_Hey everyone! Hope everyone had a good Christmas. I got my very own laptop! I've been using my sisters until now, and seeing as she's in college, means I don't get to go on it much. But now that I have my own, I can update faster! Yay! _**

**_What did Santa bring everyone? :)_**

**_Enjoy the chapter!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

When I woke up the next morning, I couldn't feel any pain. I looked at my body, and saw that all the bruises from the previous day were all gone. That's the joy of having crazy scientists mess with your genes. Super- duper fast healing. After Madam Pomfrey came and gave me breakfast, and a fast check up, I was allowed leave. I didn't like it when she started feeling with my wings, so I kept them folded in against my back, keeping my back heated.

Even though I was allowed leave the day after the accident, Madam Pomfrey refused to let Harry go until the end of the weekend. The five of us visited him every day, only leaving when it got dark, and Madam Pomfrey had no patience for us anymore.

Oliver Wood came in one morning when we were talking to Harry, along with the rest of the team. He told me and Harry that he didn't blame us in the slightest for what happened at the match, although his voice was dead, and hollow. Well, it was nice to see that he wasn't trying to drown himself anymore.

I had the talk with Nudge in the library. She felt like she had let me down by fainting. She was talking so much I was barely able to get a word in. But eventually she had to take to breath, so I took advantage of that, and told her I was proud of whatever she did. It took a while to convince her, but she came around. Now she was the happy girl as before. Although now, the Nudge-Channel was worse. All Nudge, all the time.

The night before Harry was to leave the hospital wing, I was sitting by his bed, and it was just us two. The others had things to do, like homework, or study.

Me and Harry were just talking about nothing in particular, when suddenly I said, "Harry, we saw the Grim. At the match, the Grim was there." Harry's face darkened. "Yeah I know. That's the second time I've seen the Grim, and both times were followed by near-death experiences." he said.

"What was the first near-death experience?" I asked, forgetting about everything else. "The night I ran away from my aunt uncle house, I saw the Grim in an alley way. Then I nearly got ran over by the Knight Bus," he said, a dark smile on his face. I couldn't help it. I laughed. "It's not funny Max!" Harry said, but he was laughing as well. "Do you really think it was the Grim?" I asked, wiping the tears from my eyes. "I dunno," Harry said. "It's hard to believe in all that Divination stuff. But, if you think of how I nearly died both times after seeing a huge black dog that resembled the Grim, what else could it be?"

He still seemed distant though. "Anything else bothering you, Harry?" I asked, putting my feet onto his bed.

"Do you hear anything when Dementors are close to you, Max?" Harry asked suddenly. That wasn't what I was expecting at all. It was something I didn't want to talk about. Unless you've figured it out yet, I know who the little girl screaming is.

It's me.

The little girl is me from when we were back in the School, being tortured by Donovan. The noise of metal on metal was the sound of the medical equipment being put down on the tray. I never knew how loud I used to scream. I wonder if the flock were able to hear me. I hope not.

"Why do you ask?" I said, trying to avoid answering. "Because, when I get close to a Dementor...I hear something..." Harry mumbled, looking at his hands, an uncomfortable look on his face. "What do you hear?" I asked. "My mum," he said quietly. I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. Before I could say anything, Harry went on. "I hear my mother- dying."

I stared at him. That was worse- ten bazillion times worse!- then what I was forced to hear. Harry was being forced to listen to his own mother being killed. All I had to hear was something I already went through when I was small. This was something completely new to him. My heart twinged sadly, looking at the vulnerable and lost expression on his face.

Harry quickly put on a mask so fast, it reminded me of Fang. "Well? Do you hear anything?" he asked. "I hear myself," I said without thinking. Harry looked up, frowning. "You hear..." I nodded. "Yup. Myself. When I was a little girl, being tortured at the School. Guess your is worse," I said in a rush, trying to hide the burning on my cheeks. Talking about this kind of stuff was not something I was used to.

"That must be awful," he said. I snickered. "What?" Harry asked. "Well, you think mine is worse. Clearly, yours is. You have to listen to your own mother- whom you've never talked to, may I add- being murdered in cold blood. Mine is just be screaming because of a little pain. You win," I said, nodding my head.

"You have to listen to yourself being tortured by a man that terrified you! He tortured you when you were a child!" Harry said, his eyes flashing. "Well, clearly, yours is worse! Your the one that passed out at the match, not me! I'm only here because I tried to save your sorry ass!" I said, standing up.

"Oh, sorry Max! I never asked for you to risk your life to save mine!" Harry cried.

"The same goes for you! No one asked you to risk your life and save the world from Voldemort coming back in first-year, but you did it anyway! No one asked you to save my life last year in the Chamber of Secrets, but you did it! You know why, Harry? Because you care about people! You care about everyone in this school, and you care about me. Sure, no one told me to try and save you, but I tried, because I _care about you!"_

And with that, I pushed my chair onto the floor, and stormed out of the hospital wing, leaving Harry speechless behind me.

* * *

><p>The next day, Harry got out of the hospital wing and returned to classes. At lunch, I didn't talk to him at all, or even look at him. My anger must of been radiating off of me, and the others must of sensed it, but they didn't say anything. Harry kept shooting me confused, sad looks, but I was ignoring him, like I had been doing all morning.<p>

Another person I was trying to ignore was Draco Malfoy, the ferret himself. He was sitting at the Slytherin table, making everyone around him laugh. He was waving his arms around, a stupid expression on his face- that actually suited him- and pretending to fall from his chair, screaming. He was doing his own version of how Harry and I fell from our brooms. And low and behold, he had gotten his bandages removed. How lovely. Honestly, all this sarcasm was going to drive me insane one of these days.

_I swear to Merlin, _I thought as Malfoy waved his arms again, _if I had a rocketship, I would put Malfoy in it, and send him to Mars. __**(AN: hehe, a AVPM reference! ahaha.)**_

_**Now, Max. You need to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, **_the Voice said. I rolled my eyes. What a load of fortune cookie crap.

Malfoy continued his imitations throughout Potions. He was pretending to fall from his stool, or to faint into his cauldron, or else pretending to be a Dementor. I saw Ron and Iggy whispering to each other in front of me where they were sitting with Harry, and at the same time, they turned around and flung a slippery crocodile heart right at Malfoy's face. I burst into laughter, as did everyone else. We didn't find it as funny after Snape took fifty points from Gryffindor.

"Honestly, if Snape's teaching Dark Art's again, I'm skiving," Ron said angrily, as he threw his bag over his shoulder. We were walking to the Defense Against the Dark Art's classroom, and Ron said, "Fang, check if Snape's there." Fang gave him an angry look, but obliged. Probably because he would skive off himself if Snape was there.

We walked into the class, and when Harry sat where I was going to sit beside Hermione, I walked away from the empty seat, and sat with Fang, Ron, and Iggy behind them. The flicker of sadness in Harry's glinting green eyes gave me a mean satisfaction. Hey, I'm a proud person. Someone insults what I do, they get the punishment.

Professor Lupin did look like he had been very sick. His skin was pale,and oily,and his robes were more ragged then ever, and hanging off him in places, and there were big, dark, shadows under his eyes. Despite this, he still beamed at everyone as they took there seats. Immediately, everyone started complaining about the way Snape was in the previous class.

"He was only filling in! He shouldn't of given us homework!"

"Two rolls of parchment!"

"We didn't even know anything about werewolves!"

"Did Professor Snape know that you hadn't started werewolves?" Lupin asked, looking at the class with an odd expression. This just made everyone go mental again.

"Yeah! He told us that we were really behind!"

"He wouldn't listen to any of us!"

"_Two rolls of parchment!" _I whacked Iggy upside the head to make him shut up. Don't know what he was so worked up about. He didn't even do the essay. Lupin smiled, and said, "I'll have a word with Snape. You don't have to hand in the essay," he said, followed by a round of cheering from the whole class. "Oh no," I heard Hermione saying. "I've already finished it."

For the rest of the class, we learned about Hinkypunks. They were ugly, one legged creature, that looked like it was made of smoke. "They lure travelers into bogs," Lupin told us. "Hop ahead with the lantern on their heads. People follow the light, then-"

There was a horrible squelching noise from the Hinkypunk. Well, that message came out loud and clear.

When the bell rang, everyone stop to gather their bags. "Harry, Max, Fang, and Iggy, I'd like a word," Lupin called before we left the room. I groaned. What did I do now?

We doubled back, and walked to Lupin's desk, the other's trailing behind me. "I heard about the match," Lupin said, talking to Harry. "And I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?" Harry shook his head, "No. The Whomping Willow smashed it to bits." Lupin sighed sadly. Ah, so he was a Quidditch fan. Good to know.

"That tree was planted the first year I came to Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to see who would get closer to the trunk. Eventually, after a boy nearly got his eyes taken out, we were forbidden to go near it."

"Did you hear about the Dementors, sir?" I asked.

Lupin's face darkened. "Yes, I did. Reckon no ones seen him that angry ever before. Suppose the Dementors are getting restless. They could feel the amount of people in the stadium, and couldn't resist themselves. I'm guessing there the reason you two fell?" he said, looking at me and Harry. I grinned, and said, "Well, funny story-"

"Yes. We both fell because of the Dementors," Harry interrupted. I rolled my eyes. That boy and his pride. He just couldn't say that I only fell trying to save him. Bloody idiot.

"Why do the they affect us like that?" I asked. "Are we-"

"It has absolutely nothing to do with weakness. The Dementors affect you all the most because you all have something terrible in your past. Something most people in this school would be sick of thinking about." Sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating Lupin's young, but grey face.

"You have to understand that Dementors are among the foulest, most horrible creatures that have ever walked on this world. They stay in the darkest, most miserable places, and they find glory in decay, and unhappiness. They literally suck any happy feeling, any good memory, out of someone. Even Muggle's can feel their presence, although they can't see them. They can feel the coldness,and the sadness. If a Dementor was feeding on you long enough, you would become something like itself. A soul-less, and evil thing.

"You are left with nothing but your worst experiences when next to a Dementor. And what happened to you-" he looked at all of us, "Is enough to make anyone fall off their brooms. There is nothing to be ashamed of." Lupin finished, a happy gleam in his eyes.

"But...me and Fang didn't faint. Sure, we felt really bad, and we heard stuff from the School- you know about that, right?- but we didn't faint," Iggy said. "Yes, I know Iggy. But I'm sure that if you and Fang had been flying in that match, you would of fallen off. And a teacher told me that he saw you and the other girl you live with, Nudge, looking like you were going to faint. If I got it correct, you both fell backwards when the Dementors came onto the pitch."

Iggy blushed and looked down. Fang's cheeks went slightly pink. I resisted the urge to snicker at their embarrassed expressions. Then something struck my mind. "What..." I said looking at Fang and Iggy. "Nudge didn't faint, did she?" Fang nodded. "She did. But what we didn't tell you was that we nearly did too."

Harry tried to change the subject and he said, "Sir...When a Dementor is near me, I can hear Voldemort killing my mother."

There was silence. Lupin looked at me. I grinned darkly, "I hear myself being tortured," I said, avoiding looking into anyone's eyes. I could sense Fang and Iggy staring at me, but I ignored them. With everything that had happened in the last few days, with the Dementors, and losing the match, and the whole thing with Harry, I just snapped, "Why did they have to go to the match? They just ruined everything!" As I said that, I looked at Harry out of the corner of my eye.

We stared at each other for a few seconds, and it seemed like we were having a silent conversation. His look said, _We need to talk. _My look said, _Duh! _

"Like I said before," Lupin said. "They were hungry. They couldn't resist going into the pitch with all the people. It was their idea of a feast, really.".

"Azkaban must be awful," Fang said bitterly.

"Azkaban is situated on a tiny island, way out sea. They don't need the walls, or the water, to keep the prisoners in. Not when they can't even escape from their own minds. Most of then go mad within weeks."

"Sirius Black escaped, though," I said. "He was able to get away from them." Harry nodded, silently agreeing.

"Yes, he did. Black must of found a way to fight the Dementors. Dementors are meant to drain a wizard of their powers when left there for a long time."

"You made that Dementor on the train go away," Harry said quickly. Lupin nodded, and said, "There are certain defenses one can take against a Dementor. But, there was only one on the train that night, it's much more difficult when there are more," he said.

"What defenses?" I asked. "Could you teach us?" The other's looked up, smiling at the hopeful chance of never feeling weak again.

"Max, I'm not an expert on fighting Dementors. It will be hard-"

"We need to learn," Iggy said. "I don't know about you, but I don't like having Dementors near me. I don't like how it feels. And Max and Harry can't afford to fall off their broomsticks again, or else we lose the Cup. We need to learn." I raised my eyebrows, staring at Iggy. I didn't know he could be so deep. And that wasn't even that emotional, so that proves how uncaring he could be at times. But in a good way.

Lupin stared at all of our determined faces. "Alright," he said. "Alright. I'll do my best. But it will have to wait, I'm afraid, until next term. I have things to do over the holidays. It's a very inconvenient time to fall sick."

* * *

><p>With Christmas approaching, and the extra lessons with Lupin to look forward to, I was in a considerably happier mood that night in the common room, even though it was nearing midnight. I was finishing Snape's extremely long and hard essay, alone in the common room. I yawned, grinning at the almost finished essay. I heard footsteps coming from the stairs that led to the boy's dormitory. I looked over my shoulder, and raised my eyebrows when I saw Harry, looking sheepish and awkward, standing at the bottom of the stairs.<p>

I glared at him, and turned back to my essay. I heard him huff, and I grinned to myself. I wasn't that mad at him anymore, but this was hilarious.

He walked over to the seat next to me, and sat down. I pointedly ignored him. He growled quietly, getting irritated. Well, this is what you get when you mess with Maximum Ride, the awesome.

"Max, why won't you talk to me?" he asked suddenly. I put down my quill, liking the excuse for not doing the work. I still didn't speak though. I just crossed my arms and stared at him. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you when I said those things, but you know what the both of us are like. Too bloody proud for our own good," Harry said, and despite my anger, I couldn't help smiling. Damn Harry and his charm! Grrr...

"Do you forgive me?" Harry said quietly. I pretended to think about it for a minute. "Hmm..." I said, tapping my chin in fake thought, doing my best not to snicker. Harrty just looked happy that I had said something. "I guess I'll have to. Some advantages, you know, being a friend to the Boy Who Lived," I said, winking. He laughed, looking relieved. "I really am sorry," he said, smiling. "I know, I heard you the first time," I said, rolling my eyes.

I looked around the room, and when I was happy that it was still only me and Harry, I listened for some footsteps. Then, when I was sure that no one was going to be coming down any time soon, I took off my jumper, and spread out my wings. "That feels much better," I sighed. Harry was looking at my wings in amazement. They were brown, with white spotted downy feathers. I had to admit, they were beautiful.

For the rest of the night, we stayed in the common room, talking about nothing important, like we've known each other our whole life.

**_Sorry the ending sucked, but I need to leave. Going to my grandparents house now. There 50 years married today! Thanks for getting this story over 100 reviews. :)_**

**_Hope everyone had a great Christmas and Santa was good to everyone :)_**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	13. The Marauder's Map

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Hello everyone! Here's the new chapter!**_

_**PeaceOutLove, sorry for any confusion, but I didn't skip the trip into Hogsmeade. That happens after Lupin agrees to give the Patronus lessons. Here is the chapter with Hogsmeade. And cool! Go laptops! Anyway, sorry about that :)**_

_**And thanks to everyone who reviewed, really appreciate it :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

I walked around the school, smiling. Why, do you ask? Well, I will tell you. Ravenclaw absolutely _thrashed _Hufflepuff in their match at the end of the month. My mood took a definite turn for the better. "Were not out of the running," Harry said. "We can still win!"

Wood became even more obsessed. I know, right? I didn't think it could happen either. We were now training most nights, in the pouring rain. It didn't seem to bother anyone though. As we entered December, the rain just got worse, the wind picked up and it got colder and colder.

A few weeks before term ended, the grounds were covered in frost, ice and snow. Inside the actual castle, their was a great buzz about Christmas. Tiny Professor Flitwich had decorated his classroom with small twinkling lights, that turned out to be real fairies, who didn't like it when you threw pieces of parchment at them. Found that out the hard way. Oops, sorry fairies.

If you were walk around the corridors, the only conversation to be heard was everyone talking about what they were doing for the holidays. The six of us were all staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. Our excuses were things like, `Can't stand to be with Percy for all Christmas', or `I need to use the library,' or else, `I can't make bombs at the Burrow! Are you mental!' But to be honest, we were only staying for Harry. His aunt and uncle won't let him home for Christmas, so he has to stay at Hogwarts. Not that he minds.

A few days before the Christmas holidays, there was a new notice on the notice board. There was a Hogsmeade weekend, the last week before the end of term. Everyone was delighted about it. "Excellent!" Hermione said, "We can do all our shopping there! There are a few things I know mum and dad will love!" I looked at Harry. The last trip wasn't so bad, because I wasn't allowed go, so he had some company. This time, I had the choice. I didn't really want to leave him alone while we went off and had fun.

"Harry-" I started, but he interrupted me. "Don't even think about it, Max. Your going to Hogsmeade." He wouldn't let me get a word in after that.

On Saturday morning, I woke up. It was the morning of the Hogsmeade trip, and I felt excited. I changed into an old pair of jeans, and a baggy jumper. No one should be able to see my wings with this on. We went downstairs to the Great Hall, and ate breakfast. Harry was wearing his uniform, Fang was wearing his signature black...well, everything, Iggy was wearing dark jeans and a blue jumper, and Ron was wearing an old Weasley jumper. Hermione, like me, was wearing comfortable jeans, but a cute jumper. _Oh, Merlin, _I thought. _I just called something cute! Nudge is growing on me...speaking of Nudge..._

"Hey Max! Have fun in Hogsmeade! This is your first time, right? 'Cause before, you couldn't go, 'cause you were cheeky to Professor Snape. I don't like him! He's really mean! Harry, you can't go at all, can you? Ah, that's too bad. We can't go for another three years! That's annoying! What's in Hogsmeade? Is it interesting? I'm sure it is, everyone get's really happy when they can go to Hogsmeade. OMG IT'S NEARLY CHRISTMAS! Are you all staying here for Christmas? I'm going home to the Burrow. Why aren't you guys-?"

"NUDGE!" We all screamed. She closed her mouth, looking offended. I sighed, and said, "I'm sorry, Nudge, but you can't say that you can't talk much." She nodded, still looking sad. She smiled shakily, and said "I'll just go over here," she said, and walked over to her friends. I rolled my eyes, "Nice going guys, she's sad now," I said. Iggy was still holding his hands over his ears, muttering, "My ears will not bleed...my ears will not bleed...they will not bleed..."

After breakfast, we went to the Entrance Hall, getting in line in front of Filch so we could leave. Harry said goodbye, and I noticed the sad glint in his eyes.

When we reached Filch, he growled, "Name?"

"The most amazing, awesome, best person in the world, Maximum Ride," I said, smiling sweetly. He glared at me, and looked at the long piece of parchment in front of him. "There's only a Max Ride here," he growled. "Yup, that's me. Max is short for Maximum, you know," I said in a slow voice. He glared at me, and said, "Get going then."

I walked out of the door, and waited for the others in the grounds. When we were all together, we walked through the snow covered grounds, wrapping scarfs around our necks. We walked to the huge iron gates, where the Dementors were standing, looking at everyone (well, maybe they weren't, but you know what I mean). I shivered as I passed them, trying to block out of sound of my past self screaming. Whoa, did I have a pair of lungs on me.

It took about ten minutes to walk into Hogsmeade. What I saw took my breath away. "Wow.." I gasped. Hermione smiled at me, and she linked our arms. Something we haven't done since first-year. "I know. It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said.

Beautiful seemed to be an understatement. The village of Hogsmeade looked like something you would find on a Christmas card. All of the little thatched cottages were covered in many inches of snow, more snow then I've ever seen before in America. There were wreaths hung on doors, and everywhere you looked, there was twinkling lights. There were magical candles hung in trees, and they were floating everywhere.

"Where will we go first?" I asked. Seeing as this was my first time here, and their second time, I didn't know where anything was. "Let's go to Honeysdukes!" Iggy said. "Not yet," I said, seeing a shop that caught my eye. "Why not?" Iggy whined." I rolled my eyes,and said, "Let's go their first!" I said, pointing to the bright red shop further up the road. "Why?" Iggy whined again.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? Or do I have to scream it into your face?" I said, smiling sweetly at Iggy's face. "What shop is it?" I asked Ron. "Zonko's Joke Shop," he said, grinning. I gave my friends an evil grin, and patted my pocket with all my money. "This will be fun," I laughed, wriggling my eyebrows. We made our way to Zonko's, and when we opened the door, the place was packed. It wasn't that big of a shop, but there was shelf's and shelf's of products.

I picked up a hand-full of Dungbombs, Suger Quills, and Nose-Biting Teacups and payed for them at the counter. We all bought something in Zonko's, with the exception of Hermione, who was standing at the door, tapping her foot and pursing her lips. Things like these were not what Hermione approves of.

We left Zonko's, not as much money left as we had before. "Now we can go to Honeydukes," I said, grinning at Iggy. "YAY!" he yelled, and started skipping away in the direction of the sweet shop. Ron grinned, and started skipping after him. I rolled my eyes, and when I saw Hermione smiling, I said, "If you start skipping, I'll burst your eardrums."

She smiled at me, rolling her eyes, but she didn't skip. Good, she was learning.

We opened the door to Honeydukes, and with no joke, I started drooling straight away. The smell of chocolate, and all the other sweets were overwhelming. In here was packed too, all full of Hogwarts students. "We should get sweets for Harry," I suggested. The other's nodded, and we set off around the shop, looking for different things. I picked up some sweets for myself, and some that I thought Harry would like, and we all met up again by The Unusual Tastes section.

We stood there for a few minutes, trying to find some other stuff for Harry. Fang picked up a jar of blood-flavored lollipops, and said, "These?" Oh, that was Fang. Man of many words. I smirked, raising my eyebrows, and I took the jar out of Fang's hands. "Sorry Fang, I didn't realize that Harry became a vampire," I said, putting the jar back on the shelf. I thought I heard someone snickering behind me, so I turned around to see who it was. But there was no one there. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was staring at me though.

"What about these?" Ron said, picking up a jar of Cockroach Clusters, and shoving it under my noise. "Absolutely not," came Harry's voice behind me.

Ron nearly dropped the jar of Cockroach Cluster's, and Hermione squealed. However, Fang, Iggy and I remained indifferent, although our heartbeat's quickened. The flock all had much more faster heartbeats then regular humans.

I wheeled around. Sure enough, Harry Potter was standing behind all us of, grinning like a loon. "Harry!" Hermione squealed. "How did you-?"

"Cool!" Iggy gasped, staring at Harry with wide eyes. "You've learned how to Apparate!" Harry rolled his eyes, and said, "Course I haven't Ig. I just-"

"Shh!" I hissed, looking at everyone around us. "Not here! Come on," I said. I grabbed the sleeve of Ron's jumper, and dragged him over to behind the shelf of the Unusual Tastes. It was deserted here, so no one could hear us. The other's followed, and Harry stood in front of us all, smirking smugly. "Right," I said. "How in the name of sweet baby cheesecake did you get here?"

"With this," he said, and reached into his robes and pulled out a long, square piece of very worn parchment. "A piece of old parchment helped you sneak out of the castle...?" I said slowly. "No," Harry said, "Just watch." He pulled out his wand, and tapped the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." I frowned, wondering what was going to happen.

My eye's widened as think ink lines started spreading from every corner of the parchment, looking like spider webs. They joined, and crisscrossed, and began to form words at the top of the parchment.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_  
><em>Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers<em>  
><em>are proud to present<em>  
><em>THE MARAUDER'S MAP<em>

On the map was every single detail about Hogwarts school. Every staircase, every corridor, every classroom. But the thing that really impressed me was the fact that their were tiny dots surrounding the map, labelled with everyone's names. It showed where everyone was, who they were, and what they were. I bent closer and saw that Albus Dumbledore was pacing in his office, Argus Filch was prowling along the third corridor with his cat, Mrs Norris (who is the _ugliest_ cat I've ever seen in my entire miserable life) and Nudge was sitting in the Gryffindor common room with some other first-years. I frowned when the name that was after Nudge.

Her label said, _Nudge Weasley. _I didn't know what to think about that. Well, she didn't have a last name, so picking Weasley was a good choice. But, maybe I just assumed that they would all pick Ride as their last names, seeing as I'm the leader of the flock. I shook my head, getting rid of the thoughts. It didn't matter what they're last names were, as long as they were happy and safe. See, I can be considerate and care for others...sometimes.

As I looked at the map, at all the familiar corridors, staircases, classrooms and everything else, when something caught my eye. Well, a lot of somethings. Thing's I didn't recognize. And I know the castle well, learning all the turns and corridors from our night-time wanderings.

"Are those-?" I said, starting to grin. Harry nodded, and said, "Yup. Seven secret passageways in and out of Hogwarts."

"Where did you find it?" I asked, taking the map from his hands, examining it. "Fred and George gave it to me. They nicked it from Filch in their first-year," Harry said, his sparkling eyes gleaming happily. Ron, on the other hand, just looked outraged. "How come they never gave it to me? I'm their brother!"

"Well, they actually like Harry," I said, smirking at Ron. He glared at me, and I winked at him.

"Harry isn't going to keep it though," Hermione said, sounding stern. "He's going to hand it right over to Professor McGonagall. Right, Harry?"

At the exact same time, me, Fang, Iggy, Ron and Harry all whisper-shouted, "No! Are you mad!"

"If I hand it in, Filch will now that Fred and George stole it!" Harry said, waving the map in her face. "But what about Black!" Hermione snapped. "What about him?" I asked. "He could be using any of those passageways to get in and out of the castle. The teachers need to know about it!" she said, her eyes wide.

"He can't get through most of them. Fred and George said that Filch knows about four of them, so their blocked off, and the other three- well, one is caved in, so that's no good, the other one is right under the Whomping Willow, so imagine getting through that. And the one I went through, it leads right into Honeydukes cellar. And it's really hard to see, you have to know that it's there-" He stopped, frowning.

I seemed to be the only one that noticed. Ron cleared his throat, and pointed to a notice on the window.

_BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_  
><em>Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall. <em>  
><em>Merry Christmas!<em>

"See that, Hermione? I'd like to see Black try to kill Harry with all the Dementors parading around Hogsmeade and everyone on the lookout for him," Ron said.

"And the owners live right over the shop. They'd hear someone breaking in," Fang said. "But-but- Look, Harry doesn't have a signed form! He'll get into a whole lot of trouble if he's caught!" Hermione said, looking desperate. I knew the boy's thought she was trying to be a buzz kill, and crush all the fun, but I knew she was only trying to make sure we were all safe. She didn't want us getting into trouble, or getting hurt, and this was her way of protecting us.

"It's Christmas, Hermione. Harry deserves a break!" Iggy whined, throwing his arm around Harry's shoulder's. We weren't here ten minutes, and Iggy was already more hyper then Nudge when she had one tiny square of chocolate. Harry nodded, and said, "Are you going to report me?" Hermione shook her head, biting her lip, and said "Of course I won't, but-"

"Hey Harry have you seen these?" Ron said, dragging Harry over to the Fizzing Whizbees.

When we had all payed for our sweets, we left Honeydukes and stepped into the blizzard outside. As we walked around, we pointed out places and shops all around the village to Harry, telling him what they were.

"Can we go to the Three Broomsticks?" Iggy asked, his teeth chattering. We nodded, looking forward to the warmth of fire, and indoors. Honestly, I felt like my wings were frozen to my back. I really needed to go flying soon, my wing muscle wasn't what it used to be. I decided to go that night, and ask Fang, Iggy and Nudge if they wanted to go too.

It was really crowded in the Three Broomsticks, full of adults and Hogwarts students. A curvy woman with a very pretty face was bustling around to table to table, smiling and chatting happily. "That's Madam Rosmerta," Ron said. He and Iggy shared looks, and together they said, "I'll get the drinks then?" They glared at each other, an pretty much sprinted to the counter.

I raised my eyebrows at Hermione, and said, "Something going on there I should know about?" Hermione giggle and said, "Ron and Iggy fancy Madam Rosmerta. Any second now, there going to start drooling..." We laughed and went to find a table. There was a big enough table at the back of the pub, and me, Harry, Hermione and Fang sat down. The table was between a window and a big Christmas.

Ron and Iggy came back a few minutes later carrying a tray with six Butterbeer's on it.

"Merry Christmas!" they cried. I grabbed a tankard and drank deeply. It was the best, most delicious thing I've ever had in my life. Heat flooded through my body immediately, and I sighed happily and leaned back in my chair, feeling happy and tired.

A shiver went down my spine, and I shivered violently and looked over my shoulder. I gasped, and turned around again, my eyes wide.

"Professors McGonagall and Flitwick walked through the door, followed by Hagrid, and...oh, _hell!_ Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. When the others saw them, we all put our hands on Harry's head and pushed him under the table. Just before Harry disappeared, I saw his Butterbeer fall down his front, staining his robes. I resisted the urge to laugh. Just barely, though.

My eye's widened when I saw the teachers and Fudge look around for a table, and they spotted one beside ours, and headed for it. Bloody brilliant.

Hermione dug into her robes, and pulled out her wand. She pointed it at the Christmas tree and whispered, "_Mobiliarbus!" _The Christmas tree rose a few inched off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed in front of our table, blocking us from view. I smiled at her, and mouthed, "Your brilliant!" She grinned.

They sat down, and ordered their drinks. _Whoa_, I thought. _This was going to be a long afternoon._

_**Oh, Max, **_the Voice said, **_You have no idea._**

**_And there's the chapter. Hope you liked it :) And sorry for the long wait :D _**

**_Next chapter should be up soon :p_**

**_Oh, and teenbooks4eva, I would definitely read the story! Send me a PM or something when you've started it :) can't wait to read it _**

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**_Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	14. The Story of Sirius Black

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**How is everyone? You all good?**_

_**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! **_

_**Here's the new chapter, hope you like it :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

The teachers sat down at the table beside ours. I was holding my breath, just waiting for us to get discovered. Luckily, Hermione had moved the Christmas tree in front of our table so we were blocked from the teachers view. We heard someone else walking toward their table, and a woman's voice saying, "A small gillywater-"

"That would be mine, Rosmerta," came McGonagall's voice. "Four pints of mulled mead," Rosmerta said. "Mine, Rosmerta," Hagrid said.

"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella-"

"Yes, please Rosmerta," Little Flitwick squeaked.

"So the red current rum will be yours, Minister."

"Thank you, Rosmerta," Fudge said, "And I must say, it is great to see you again. Won't you join us, dear? Have a drink for yourself, m'dear."

"Oh, why thank you, Minister," Rosmerta said, and she walked off, her heels clicking off the wooden floor as she walked.

My heart was hammering in my throat. You'd think Harry was realize that it was the last week of term before Christmas? How long were they all going to sit there? "So what brings you around here, Minister?" Rosmerta asked. Fudge cleared his throat nervously and he said, "What else, dear?" There was silence, but Fudge continued, "Sirius Black, Rosmerta! I'm sure you've heard about what happened up at the school on Halloween!"

"I heard rumours," Rosmerta said.

"Hagrid, did you tell the whole village?" McGonagall groaned.

"Do you think Black's still around here, Minister?" Rosmerta asked, her voice slightly strained. "I'm sure of it," Fudge said confidentiality. "You know the Dementors have searched my pub more them twice, Minister? Not very good for business," Rosmertra said, sounding annoyed.

"M'dear, you know quite well that I don't like it anymore then you do," Fudge said, sounding uncomfortable. "Necessary precautions, you must understand. Unfortunate but, there you have it. Just spoken to some there. Their all in a fury against Dumbledore. Not letting them into the castle grounds, you see."

"Well, I should hope not!" McGonagall exasperated. "Imagine trying to teach with those horrors going around!" "Hear, hear!" tiny Flitwick said.

"All the same," Fudge said. "They are there protecting us all from something much, much worse. We all know what Black is able to do."

"You know, I still have trouble believing it," Rosmerta said. "Of all the people to change to the Dark side, I would never of thought that Sirius Black would. I still remember him as a boy from Hogwarts. If you told me then what he was going to...I'd tell you that you were crazy!"

"I'm sure you only half of it, Madam Rosmerta," Fudge said gravely. "The worst he did isn't known to many people." I held my breath. For some reason, Black intrigued me. For a man to kill thirteen people with one spell! And according to Fudge, he did something worse. I shared a look with the others. They all looked interested, yet frightened. I could only imagine what Harry was feeling right now.

I put my hand under the table, searching for Harry's. After a minute, I felt Harry's hand slip into mine. My hand was smaller then his, and my hand seemed to fit perfectly in his. I blushed slightly, but covered it with my hair.

"The worst?" Rosmerta gasped. "You mean he did something worse then that?"

"I do, Rosmerta," Fudge said. "Well, that's hard to believe. What could possibly be worse then killing all those poor people?"

Fudge took a deep breath, but it was McGonagall that spoke first. "You say you remember Black from school, Rosmerta. Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Of course," Rosmerta said, laughing quietly. "Never seen them without the other. They were inseparable. Oh, the two of them would make me laugh when they came in here. Quite the act, Sirius Black and James Potter."

Harry squeezed my hand, and dropped his bottle. I squeezed back, and kicked him to make him shut up.

"Exactly. Black and Potter. The leaders of their own little group. Both very smart. Exceptionally smart, really. I don't think I've ever seen two people more likely to cause more trouble in one day," McGonagall said. Hagrid chuckled, and said, "I dunno. Fred an' George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money, if you ask me."

"James Potter trusted Black more then any of his other friends. And that never changed after they graduated from Hogwarts. Black was James' best-man when he married Lily. And, when Harry was born, they named Black his godfather-" again, Harry squeezed my hand. I stroked his hand with my thumb, trying to comfort him. "Harry has no idea, though. Imagine what that would do to him. Poor lad."

"And then, Black was engaged to be married. I'm sure you remember Lily's best friend, Grace Collins? They only started dating a short while after Lily and James. And, I'm sure you remember what happened to Grace?" Fudge said. When Madam Rosmerta spoke again, she sounded like she was going to cry.

"She died. You-Know-Who killed her. I remember well. She was a great, kind woman, Grace. And right after they had a daughter!" she said. "You heard what happened to the daughter, then?" McGonagall asked. I heard Madam Rosmerta nodding her head, her many beads clinking as she nodded.

"She was killed as well, wasn't she?" Rosmerta said. "That's what we heard. But there have been stories that she was kidnapped, and taken somewhere where no one could find her. But, as far as Sirius Black knew, she was as good as dead. I reckon that's what did it for him. That's what drove him over the edge, to do what he did," Fudge said.

"Am I the only one that thinks that we have a student in the castle that strongly resembles Grace and Sirius?" Flitwick squeaked. "I mean, Miss Ri-" "Filius!" McGonagall snapped. "We discussed this! There is no chance that she is their daughter! Their daughter was killed, she's not Miss R-"

"Why did Black start working for You-Know-Who after it was him that killed his family?" Flitwick interrupted McGonagall. "Sources tell me that You-Know-Who lied to Black, and he used his damaged state to his advantage. Made him do what he asked and wanted," Fudge explained. "Black joined You-Know-Who because of his family?" Madam Rosmerta asked, sounding depressed.

"Oh, no," Fudge said, "He was working for You-Know-Who long before his family was killed. This though, put him over the edge. He was determined to prove himself, to actually kill someone." "That's awful!" Madam Rosmerta gasped.

"Worse still, Madam Rosmerta. Not many people knew that You-Know-Who was after James and Lily for a long time before he actually killed them. But, even less people knew that the Potter's themselves knew that they were being hunted down. Dumbledore, who of course, was working endlessly, had a lot of very useful spies. One of them spies tipped him off that You-Know-Who was going after the Potter's. Of course, Dumbledore warned them straight away. He ordered them to go into hiding. Obviously, You-Know-Who isn't easy to hide from, so Dumbldore said their best chance was a Fidelius Charm," Fudge explained.

"How does that work?" Madam Rosmerta asked, breathless with interest. Immediately, Flitwick started explaining. "It's a hard, complex spell that conceals a secret inside a living soul. The information is hidden inside one, single person called a Secret-Keeper. Henceforth, the person in hiding is impossible to find. Unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to tell someone where they're hiding. As long as the Secret-Keeper kept his mouth shut, You-Know-Who would be able to stroll down the street where Lily and James were living for weeks on end, and never find them. He'd be able to put his nose **_(AN: What nose?) _**right against the Potter's sitting room window and he would never be able to see them!" He finished his long explanation with a sigh, and he took a large gulp of his drink.

"So Black was the Potter's Secret-Keeper?" Madam Rosmerta asked. "He was of course," McGonagall said. "James told Dumbledore that Black would rather die then tell their secret. He told him that Black was planning on going into hiding as well. It didn't matter what Black did then, as Grace would of already been dead, and their daughter dead or missing. Yet, Albus was worried. I remember that he even offered to be the Potter's Secret-Keeper himself."

"He didn't trust Black?" Madam Rosmerta asked. "He was pretty sure that someone close to the Potter's were betraying him. Giving You-Know-Who information about the Potter's movements," McGonagall said grimly. "He suspected someone from our side for a very long time. He didn't want to take any chances. He was quite fond of the Potter's, if I say so myself."

"But James still insisted on using Sirius?"

"Naturally," Fudge said darkly. "And not even a week after the Fidelius Charm was put into place-"

"He betrayed them!" Madam Rosmerta gasped.

"Indeed," Fudge said. "It would of been a few months after Grace and his daughter was killed. Their child was only a few weeks older then young Harry, actually. I suspect he was tired of being the double-agent, and he didn't have a family stopping him from announcing his true loyalties. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall with young Harry. Destroyed of all power, and left weak, he fled. Now, Black was in sticky situation. He had finally shown his true colors, and his master get's destroyed. He didn't have a choice but to run."

"Filthy traitor!" Hagrid howled suddenly, loud enough for the whole pub to hear him. "Shh Hagrid!" McGonagall hissed.

"I met him!" Hagrid howled again. "I musta bin the the last one ter see him before he killed all those people! It was me that rescued Harry from Lily an' James' house after they died. Jus' got him out of the house, poor little thing he was, with the great slash across his forehead, an' his parent's dead...an' Sirius Black shows up on that flyin' motorbike he used ter have. Never thought what he could of been doin' there. I didn't know he'd bin James and Lily's Secret-Keeper. Just thought he heard 'bout what happened and came ter have a look, see if there was anything he could do. He was white an' shakin'. And yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED HIM! I COMFORTED THE MUDERIN' TRAITOR!"

I winced at the pain, and sorrow in Hagrid's voice. Sometimes, Hagrid can be too loving for his own good, and he takes everything to heart. Sometimes, that wasn't a good thing in someone his height.

"Hagrid, please, keep it down!" snapped McGonagall.

"I didn't know he was there fer You-Know-Who! I thought he was jus' upset 'bout James and Lily! An' then he says, he says `Give Harry ter me, Hagrid. I'm his godfather, I'll look after 'im.' Ha! But I had orders from Dumbledore, I did, so I told Black, no, Harry needs to go ter his aunt an' uncles. He argued, but in the end, he gave in an' told me ter use his bike ter take him there. Said he wouldn't be needin' it anymore.

"Shoulda known somethin' was up though. He loved that bike, I knew he did. Why was he givin' it ter me for? Fact was, would of been too easy spotted, if he was on the run. Dumbledore knew he'd bin their Secret-Keeper. Black knew he had no choice but ter run fer it, knew the Ministry would be after 'im. But what if I had given Harry ter him? I bet he would of pitched him off the bike somewhere! His best friend's son! But there's nothin' that'll stop a wizard once they go on ter the Dark side."

There was a grime silence after Hagrid's story. Madam Rosmerta was the first to recover, and she said, "But you got him! The Ministry got him in the end!"

Fudge sighed, "If only we had, dear. It wasn't the Ministry that caught Black the next day, but another of the Potter's friends. You remember Peter Pettigrew?" There was a silence before Madam Rosmerta said, "Pettigrew...That fat little boy that used to follow Black and James at Hogwarts?"

"The very same, Madam Rosmerta. Pettigrew worshiped the floor which James and Black walked on," McGonagall said. "Never in the same league as them though, talent-wise. I was rather sharp with him, which I'm sure you can imagine I regret now." McGonagall sounded like she had a sudden head cold. She blew her nose, and sniffled.

"There now Minerva. Pettigrew died a hero's death, we all know that. There were eyewitnesses, of course. Muggles, you know, but we wiped their minds later. Told us how Pettigrew ran up to Black, sobbing `James and Lily Sirius! How could you?' Then little Pettigrew went for his wand, and obviously Black was faster. Blew Pettigrew to pieces, and half the street," Fudge said.

"If I had gotten ter Black before Pettigrew, I wouldn't've messed around with wands. I'd've ripped 'im limb from limb!" Hagrid growled. I swallowed. I never knew Hagrid could ever sound so...well, mean.

I could feel Harry's hand shaking in mine. I gripped his hand more tightly, trying to make him relax. Ha, like that was going to happen anytime soon.

"Come now Hagrid," Fudge said sharply. "You have no idea what your talking about. No one stood much a chance against Black. It took fully trained Hit Wizards to take him down that morning. At the time I was the Junior Minister at the Department of Magical Catastrophes, so I was one of the first on the scene. I will never forget that day. Still have nightmares about it, believe it or not. A huge crater in the middle of the street, bodies lying everywhere, Muggle's screaming, and Black standing against the wall, laughing. What was left of Pettigrew was in front of him, a heap of bloodstained robes, and a few fragments. The biggest part of Pettigrew we found, was his finger. That's all that was left, a finger-" Fudge stopped suddenly. There was the sound of about five people blowing their noses.

"There you have it now, Rosmerta," Fudge said in a thick voice. "Black was taken away by more then twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, and we gave Pettigrew an Order of Merlin, First Class. We think it was of some comfort to his poor old mother."

"Is it true that he's mad, Minister?" Madam Rosmerta sighed.

"I'd like to say that he is," Fudge said, sounding distant. "Perhaps his master's defeat was enough to unhinge him for a little while. You have to admit, the murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggle's was a pointless act- cruel, the actions of a desperate man. Although, on my last inspection of Azkaban, I met Black. You know by now that most of the prisoners just sit in the corners of their cells, muttering to themselves; no sense left in them! But I was shocked at how normal, and calm Black seemed to be. He spoke rationally to me, not any bit of gibberish like from the other prisoners. It was quite unnerving. You'd swear he was just merely bored! He asked me if I was finished with my paper, cool as though we were having tea in a cafe. Told me he missed the crosswords. I was astounded by how little the Dementors were affecting him. And there are Dementors outside his cell every hour of every day," Fudge finished. There was something this whole thing has taught me. Fudge loved the sound of his own voice. Not a good quality for the man who manages the magical community.

"What do you reckon he's broken out to do?" Madam Rosmerta asked. "Merlin's beard, he's not trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"That could well be his eventual plan, Rosmerta. But we plan on catching him long before that. You-Know-Who, alone and friendless is one thing, but You-Know-Who with his most devoted servant...I shudder to think how fast he will actually rise again."

There was the sound of someone leaving their empty glasses on the table. "You know Cornelius, if you are dining with the Headmaster this evening, we really must leave," McGonagall said. I let out a sigh of relief.

One by one, they all stood up, and walked out the door. Madam Rosmerta returned to the bar once more, and we were left in silence.

"Harry?" we all said at the same time. The five of us stuck our heads under the table, staring at Harry. His hand was still in mine, and he didn't look like he was going to remove it anytime soon.

Harry stared back at us, and like us, he was speechless.

_**Hi everyone! How was the chapter? **_

**_Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012!_**

****_**Thanks for all the reviews!**_

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_**-Rach ;)**_


	15. Christmas Time

_**AUTHORS NOTE! **_

_**Hey guys! Is everyone doing okay? **_

_**Here's the new chapter, and I hope you all like it :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

It seemed like hours before we finally left the Three Broomsticks and back to the blizzard outside. "We should go back to the school," I suggested, just wanting something to break the silence. The others nodded, and Harry said in a hollow voice, "I have to go back through Honeydukes." It was odd though. He hadn't let go of by hand, and I hadn't let go of his. No one noticed we were holding hands though. "Do you want me to go with you?" I asked. Harry shook his head, and removed his hand from mine. "No. I need to think...Thanks anyway," he said, but there was no emotion in his voice.

He turned and walked back up Hogsmeade, and we watched him go until we couldn't see him anymore. My hand felt oddly cold now.

The walk back to the castle seemed to take no time at all. My mind was buzzing, thinking about everything we just heard. I wondered why no one ever told Harry, even after Black escaped from Azkaban. To think, he had just learned the horrible truth of how his parents died in the space of twenty minutes. I couldn't start to imagine how he must be feeling right now, but knowing Harry like I do, he wouldn't talk to us about it. Hew as too proud and too stubborn.

When we arrived back the school, it was time for dinner. Harry was waiting for us in the Entrance Hall. The six of us ate in uncomfortable silence, not daring to talk about what we heard because Percy was sitting right next to us. Nudge was sitting with her friends a few seats away, blabbing like she does, but she was staring at us, with a knowing expression. She knew something was up, and it was obvious that she was going to ask me later. I smiled at her, and she beamed and waved back. It was odd how fast all the flock were growing up, becoming more independent. I couldn't be more proud of all of them.

After dinner, we went up to the common room where Fred and George set off a dozen Dungsbombs. I noticed Harry sneaking off to the boy's dormitory, and saw Ron looking after him. He started going after him, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Leave him," I said. "He needs to be on his own fora while." Ron looked like he was going argue, but decided not to. Smart boy.

We stayed in the common room that night, entertained by Fred and George, who were celebrating the end of term by letting off fireworks, and more Dungbombs. Nudge came over to us and sat down in the vacant seat. "So what was up with you guys at dinner? I saw you all looking sad, or distracted, or worried-" Nudge started, but Iggy interrupted, saying, "We will tell you if you stop talking!"

I stared at him. Was he serious? Should we really tell her? Was she old enough for all this- I stopped at I stared at her. Of course she was old enough. She was eleven years old, and been through more things then most of the people in this entire school. Iggy looked at me, and said, "Is that alright, Max? We can tell Nudge right?" Nudge stared at me with her biggest, best puppy eyes. I growled in frustration. Damn puppy eyes! They always get to me! Angel was the worst. I would give her one of Aragogs' children if she put the puppy eyes on me.

"Don't you think Harry should be here too? It's all about him!" I said. "He won't mind!" Fang said. I glared at him. Honestly, he was only around to make my life a living hell.

"Oh please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please Max! PLEEEAAAASSSEEE!" Nudge begged. "Oh fine!" I snapped. "But I'm not explaining it to her! You can do this among yourselves." So, for about half and hour, we sat and talked about what had happened with Sirius Black. We were in the corner of the common room, and no one was paying any attention to us.

When we finished, Nudge, for the first time in her life, was lost for words. I took advantage of this. "You tell no one, Nudge. Because if you do, I will...I'll...I'll tell Mrs Weasley that you got in serious trouble in class. You know how she'll react to that right? You were there when she got letters about Fred, George, are all of us. You want me to do that?" It was cruel, but at least she wouldn't tell anyone about Black.

She gulped, and nodded, looking terrified at the thought. "It's time for you to go to bed," I told her. She nodded again, and stood up. She walked towards the girls dormitory, but stopped half way and walked back to where we were all sitting. She faced me, Fang and Iggy and held out her right fist. I grinned, and stacked my fist on hers. Then Fang and Iggy stacked theirs on top, and we hit each of them. Nudge smiled, and skipped to the girls dormitory.

Ron and Hermione watched us with interested expressions, but didn't say anything.

* * *

><p>That night, I was plagued by nightmares about Sirius Black. He was standing over a pale, lifeless Harry, laughing. I stepped closer to Harry, and screamed when I saw he was dead. I turned to Black and saw he was raising his wand to kill me too. I gasped, and woke up in a cold sweat. After lying in bed for a few minutes, gasping for breath, I finally managed to fall into an uneasy sleep.<p>

I woke up the following morning around eleven o'clock. The dormitory was empty, and it took me a few minutes to remember that it was the start of the Christmas holidays. Everyone who was going home for Christmas was already gone. I got out of bed and padded to the bathroom. I took a five minute shower, which really woke me up, and went back to my bed. I changed quickly, brushed my hair, and walked down to the common room.

Ron, Hermione, Fang and Iggy were sitting by the fire. Although Hermione was sitting on her own with her homework spread across three tables. The boys were playing wizards chess, and eating chocolate. When I walked down to them, they looked up. "Is Harry not up yet?" I asked, sitting down beside Fang and taking his chocolate from his hands. He glared at me, but I just smiled sweetly at him. "No," Ron said, looking at his watch. "If he's not up by lunch time, I'll go and wake him up."

For a while, we sat, played chess and ate Honeydukes sweets from the day before. Just before lunch time, there were footsteps behind coming from the stairs. I turned around and saw a confused and tired looking Harry. "You look awful," I said bluntly.

"Where is everyone?" Harry asked, ignoring me. "There all gone home. Its the first day of the Christmas holidays, remember?" Iggy said. I looked at Harry closely, and frowned. He really did look awful. There were dark bags under his eyes, and his face was pale and shallow.

Harry feel into the armchair beside me, and he looked out the window. There was snow falling already, making everything outside white and icy. "You really don't look well Harry," Hermione said, concern etched on her face. "I'm fine," Harry said, somewhat sharply.

"Harry," I said, "We know you must be upset and angry about what we heard yesterday but promise that you won't do something stupid." Harry gave me a weird look that I've never seen before. He was angry now. Brilliant. "Like what?" he said coldly. "Like doing the dumb butt thing like going after Black!" I said, staring him right in the eyes. He didn't say anything, he just looked at each of us.

"Your not thinking about going after him, are you?" Fang asked. "He's not worth dying for," Iggy added. I stared at him, surprised. He actually managed to say something smart and helpful! What was happening to the world!

"Do you know what I hear when a Dementor get's too close to me?" Harry asked. Hermione, Ron, Fang and Iggy all shook their heads, but I nodded, remembering the time in the hospital wing weeks ago. "I hear my mum pleading and screaming with Voldemort. If you heard your mum like that, I doubt you would forget that in a hurry. And if you figured out that someone that was meant to be their friend betrayed them, and is the reason their dead-"

"There's nothing you can do!" Hermione said. "The Dementors are going to catch Black, put him back in Azkaban- and serve him right!" Hermione sounded close to tears. "You heard Fudge," Harry said quietly. "The Dementors don't affect Black like other people. Going back to Azkaban wouldn't be as much of a punishment as it is to others."

"So your saying that you want to kill Black?" I asked, the words sounding odd in my mouth. I remembered the dream I had last night. If Harry did try to go after Black, that dream might become real. That couldn't happen. "That's crazy Max," Hermione said in a panicky voice. "Harry doesn't want to kill anyone...Right?" I looked at her. There were tears glistening in her eyes.

Harry didn't answer. He got a distant look on his face, and looked at his feet. Abruptly, he said, "Malfoy knows. Remember in Potions? He said that if he was me, he'd want revenge." "You'd rather take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?" Iggy snapped angrily. Ron looked at his sharply, and he stayed quiet. "You know what Dad told me?" he said. "After Pettigrew was killed, they gave his mother the Order of Merlin First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. Remember, that was the biggest part of him they could find? Black is mad, Harry. He's dangerous."

"Malfoy's dead must of told him," Harry went on, not even looking at Ron. "He was right in Voldemort's inner circle-"

"Harry, stop saying his name! Just say You-Know-Who!" Ron snapped.

"So clearly Malfoy knew that Black was working was Voldemort-"

"And Malfoy would just love to see you blown into pieces like Pettigrew!" I said. "Come on, Harry! He's only hoping you'll get killed, or injured, before we need to play him in Quidditch! Think about it Harry!"

"Please, be sensible Harry," Hermione said, "You'll be playing right into Black's hands if you tried to go after him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you getting hurt! They wouldn't want you going after Black!"

"Yeah, well thanks to Black I'll never know what they would've wanted," Harry said bitterly. There was an awkward silence. I really wished I could slap the sense back into Harry, but that probably wouldn't help the situation.

"Let's go to Hagrid's," Iggy said. "We haven't seen him in ages."

"Iggy, Harry's not meant to leave the castle-" Hermione started, but Harry stood up and said, "Yeah, we should go to Hagrid's. I can ask him why he never told me about Black and my parents being mates."

Obviously, another conversation about Sirius Black was no something Iggy, or the others, had in mind.

We collected our clocks, gloves and scarves from our dormitories and met again in the common room. We set off through the portrait hole, where Sir Cadogan yelled after us, "Stand and fight you cowardly dogs!" Iggy turned back to him and snapped, "Do you ever bloody shut up?"

We walked through the empty castle and out into the grounds. We walked slowly down to Hagrid's hut through the thick, powdery snow. As I stared at Hagrid's hut, I was reminded of an iced cake, with all the snow surrounding it and the ice and frost on roof. Ron approached the door and knocked loudly. There was no answer.

"Maybe he's gone out," Hermione shivered. Fang frowned, and put his ear to the door. "No...there's a weird noise...listen...Is that the dog?" Fang refused to actually say Hagrid's dog name, seeing as they have the same name. The rest of us put our ears to the door, and sure enough, Fang the dog was inside, making sad, quiet mumbling moans.

"Should we get somebody?" I asked, looking back at the school. Completely ignoring me, Harry stepped closer to the door and started thumping on the door. "Hagrid!" he yelled. "Hagrid! It's us! Let us in!" There was the sound of a chair scrapping across the floor and heavy footsteps and the next second, the door swung open abd Hagrid was standing in the doorway, red eyed and tears splashing down his face.

"You've heard?" he bellowed, and threw his arms around Iggy's neck. Seeing as Hagrid was twice the size of a normal man, this was quite serious. Although, I did like the shocked look on Iggy's face, kinda like his head was going to pop off. That would of been interesting...

Fang and Ron managed to get Hagrid off of Iggy and back into his hut. Iggy stayed where he was, leaning against the door, rubbing his throat and gasping. I thumped Iggy on the back, getting his to walk into the hut, where Hagrid was now sitting at the table, sobbing uncontrollably. "Hagrid! What's wrong?" Hermione asked, sitting beside him.

"What's this, Hagrid?" Harry asked, picking up an official looking letter from the table. Hagrid sobbed even louder, and waved his hand as an invitation for Harry to read it aloud.

"Dear Mr. Hagrid,  
>Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident."<p>

"Well, that's fine isn't it Hagrid," I said, smiling. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, for Hagrid only sobbed louder (to be honest I didn't think that was possible) and waved his gigantic hand again for Harry to continue.

" However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.  
>Yours in fellowship ... "<p>

Harry read out all twelve of the school governors names. A silence followed, but was broken when Iggy said, "But you said it yourself, Hagrid! Buckbeak is a good Hippogriff! I bet he'll be let off. Don't worry about it Hagrid."

"Yeh don' know them trolls at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" chocked Hagrid, wiping his eyes and looking seeply miserable. "They've got in in fer interesting creatures." There was a noise from the corner, and at the same time, we all looked over. Lying on Hagrid's massive bed was Buckbeak, munching on something that was oozing blood everywhere. Straight away, I bowed. Buckbeak lowered his head in what was unmistakably a bow. I walked over to him and sat on the bed beside him, petting his head.

"You'll have to put up a really strong defense Hagrid," Fang said. "You'll be able to prove that Buckbeak is a safe creature. "Won' make a difference, Fang," Hagrid howled. "All them disposal devil's, there sittin' in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared of 'im! An' if we lose the case, Buckbeak-" He drew his finger across his throat, gave a loud wail, and threw himself forward onto the table again.

I was staring at Harry, just waiting for him to start bothering Hagrid about Black. But it never came. He seemed to come to his senses and know that now, was not the time. "Listen Hagrid," Harry said, "You can't just give up. You can call us a witnesses. We'll tell them what really happened."

"I'm sure I can find something about Hippogriff -baiting, where the Hippogriff got off. I'll try and find it, and show you Hagird. We can get through this," Hermione said, smiling kindly and laying her hand gently on Hagrid's massive forearm. He howled loudly, although this time I was sure it was more out of gratitude then sadness. Buckbeak shifted beside me, and I rubbed his head. Out of all the other animals Hagrid's interested in, Buckbeak is my favorite. He's actually adorable.

"Shall I make tea?" Ron asked. We all stared at him. "What?" he said, blushing. "It's what my mom does when someone's upset."

We stayed in Hagrid's for over an hour, reassuring him that we would help with Buckbeak, and had a few cups of tea. We finally left, and went back to the castle for lunch.

* * *

><p>We spent the remainder of the Christmas holidays either in the library, or reading the books in the common room. The six of us would sit in front of the fire, flicking through the dozens of books we'd bring back from the library each evening, speaking only when we thought we found something useful.<p>

"Oh, look here! Something similar happened in 1756...Oh, but the Hippogriff was convicted and- oh, God, that's disgusting!"

"Here's another one, but it was a Manticore...He was let off...Oh, only because no one wanted to go near it, he was too scary..."

Meanwhile, the usual Christmas decorations had been put up around the school, despite that fact that barely anyone had stayed over the holidays. Ethan had gone home to his parents, one of his friends told me when we passed each other in the corridors. It would be their first Christmas without their other child, Lucy, who died last year after getting seriously ill. I should send them something nice...

Thick streams of holy and mistletoe were hung around the castle. Don't even get me started on what Iggy did when we both stood under a piece of mistletoe at the same time. Let's just say that he won't be able to have children any time soon, on my account. Oh well, that's what happens when he tries to get in my face...literally.

Also, mysterious lights shone from the suits of armor, the Great Hall was once again filled with the same twelve, dazzling Christmas trees, and an amazing smell filled the corridors.

On Christmas morning, the first thing I did was look at the wing-shaped necklace that I had been given after Jeb died. He was going to give it to me for Christmas, but he died a few days before, so that clearly didn't work. But Mrs Weasley had found it, and sent it to me. I turned it over, so the engraving on the back caught the light. One single word that meant a lot of me and the flock. _Freedom. _

I got out of bed to find a small pile of presents on the bottom of my bed. I grinned, and saw that Hermione was still fast asleep, with her curtains open. That girl just never learns. I raced from my bed to hers, and ripped the blankets off her, and jumped on her. She woke up and screamed, and I just laughed. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" I bellowed. Hermione glared at me, but smiled after she saw the presents at the bottom of her bed. "Yeah, yeah, merry Christmas to you too Max," she smiled, grabbing one of her presents- probably from her parents- and tearing it open.

I ran over to my own bed, and started unwrapping my presents. Nudge had bought me tons of jewellery that I probably would never wear, Hermione got me a few books (shocker), Iggy got me a bottle of nice smelling perfume, with a note that said, _Max, you should wear this everyday. Seriously, you need to wear it. You smell. Love, Iggy! _I smiled, and rolled my eyes. Fang got me a watch, Ron got me chocolates, and Harry got me a photo album full of pictures of the six of us, and the flock. I smiled and was getting ready to go into the boy's dormitory when I saw a rather large box under my bed.

I got down on my hands and knees and dragged the box out. "What's that?" Hermione asked, pulling her dressing gown over her pajamas. "No idea," I said, looking for a note, or something. But there was nothing written on the box. "Well, open it. Maybe theirs something inside," Hermione said. I opened the box, and gasped.

Inside the box was a beautiful, red, acoustic guitar. I took it out of the box and left it resting on my lap. No one knew, but after Jeb took us from the School, he would teach me how to play the guitar at night. It was a surprise for me when I woke up and caught Jeb playing in the sitting room. That was one of the first nights we were at the house in Colorado, and I was playing ever since...well, until Dumbledore came and told us we were magical people...

"Do you play?" Hermione asked, her eyebrow raised. I nodded, to shocked to actually speak. "Is there anything inside?" she asked. I looked in the box, but it was empty. "Nope. Nothing," I said. She bit her lip, and said, "Do you want to go over to the guys dormitory?" she asked in a strange voice. "Sure," I said. I left the gorgeous guitar down, and followed Hermione out of our dormitory and into the boy's.

As we walked in, all the boy's were laughing. "What are you laughing at?" I asked, falling onto Neville's empty bed. I looked at Harry, and spotted what the fuss was about.

He was holding a Firebolt.

An actual, real Firebolt.

"Where did you get that?" I asked. "No idea," he said, "There wasn't a card or anything." I saw the same, weird look cross Hermione's face, the same one from when she saw me with the guitar. The amazing, brilliant, beautiful guitar...

"What's wrong with you?" Iggy said, looking at Hermione's distraught face. "I don't know," Hermione said, biting her lip, "It's meant to be quite a good broom, right?" I gaped at her. "Quite a good broom?" I cried. "Hermione, that's the best bloody broom in the world!" Hermione sighed, and said, "So, it would be very expensive?"

"More then all the Slytherin's broom's put together!" Ron said proudly. "So who would spend that much money, and not even say who it was from?" Hermione asked.

"Who cares?" Fang said.

"I don't think it's safe to use that broomstick!" Hermione cried.

Before another word could be said, Crookshanks came into the room, and jumped straight at Ron's chest. "GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" Ron bellowed, trying to pull Crookshanks off of him. Crookshanks eventually fell to the ground, hissing and spitting, and prowled out of the room. "That cat is mental!" Ron yelled, red-faced and sweaty.

What a brilliant way to start off Christmas morning.

_**Here's the new chapter! Sorry the ending was really bad. I'll try and update again before I go back to school on Monday! **_

_**Yay! It's my birthday at the end of this month! Whoop! Bring on 14! yay! **_

_**Thanks for all the reviews :)**_

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_**-Rach ;)**_


	16. What a Lovely Christmas Dinner

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Hello! Everyone doing good? **_

_**Updating will start being slower from next week, cuz I'm back at school...damn...**_

_**Kasai (don't think that's your actual name, you didn't log in.) my birthday is on the 30th :)**_

_**Oh, and I feel really stupid for not mentioning this in the chapter where they hear about Sirius in the Three Broomsticks, but I wanted to say that when he was at Hogwarts, he was a very musical person, and always playing guitar or something, and that's why Max got one. Sorry, I feel really stupid that I didn't write that... Stupid Rachel...:/ well, now you know! o.O**_

_**Anyway, without further ado, here is the chapter!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

It was the most awkward morning of my life. Hermione and Ron refused to talk to each other, and sat on opposite sides of the common room. The rest of us tried getting them to talk to each other, but they wouldn't even look at each other. Hermione was fuming that Ron tried to hurt Crookshanks, and Ron was mad that Crookshanks tried to kill Scabbers again. Personally, I didn't think it would of been a bad thing if Crookshanks got the rat. Merlin, I hated Scabbers.

For most of the morning, we sat in the common room and didn't talk much. Harry sat on the couch examining his new Firebolt, and I sat beside him playing around with chords on my new guitar. For some reason, Hermione seemed to be annoyed by this, but we ignored her.

Finally when lunch time rolled around, we left the common room (sadly, Fang made me leave my guitar back in my dormitory...he's such a bully...). When we entered the Great Hall, we saw that all four of the House tables had been pushed up against the walls, and were replaced by just one table in the middle of the Great Hall. The table was set for twelve people, and there were already five sitting down.

Professor's Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape were sitting at the middle of the table, and Ethan's friend was at the end (why can't I remember his name? Was it Micheal...No...Shane? No...Oh, I don't care!) and there was a fifth-year Slytherin, and a scared looking first-year from Hufflepuff.

"Merry Christmas!" Dumbledore cheered happily when we approached the table. "It seemed foolish to use the House tables as there are only a few of us. Sit, sit!" The six of us sat side by side at the table. "Crackers!" Dumbledore said happily offering one to Snape, who rolled his eyes and took one end of the cracker reluctantly and tugged. With a huge bang, the cracker flew apart to reveal a pointed witches hat with a stuffed vulture on top.

Remembering the Boggart, I caught Harry's eye and we both started snickering. Snape glared at us, and pushed the hat towards Dumbledore, who immediately swapped it for his own wizards hat. "Dig in!" he said, beaming at everyone.

As I was helping myself to third helpings (everyone else were still on their first, except for Fang and Iggy, who were reaching for third's as well) the doors to the Great Hall opened. I nearly started chocking on my roast potatoes when I saw Professor Trelawney standing at the door, wearing a green sequenced dress, looking more like a dragonfly today then ever before.

"Sybill, what a lovely surpirse," Dumbledore said, standing up.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," she said in her misty voice, "And to my surprise I saw myself dining with you all tonight. I am not one to refuse the promptings of fate, so I immediately left my tower. I hope you forgive my lateness." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and he said, "Oh, of course. Let me draw you up a chair."

And that's exactly what he did. He waved his wand, and a chair appeared out of no where, in between Snape and McGonagall. Trelawney, however, refused to sit down. Her mouth opened and closed and her eyes grew bigger then normal, which is saying something, and I was strangely reminded of a fish out of water. "I can't Headmaster! If I sit at that table, the number will become thirteen! There is nothing more unlucky! You must not forget that when thirteen dine together the first to rise is the first to die!"

"I'm sure we will take the risk, Sybill," McGonagall said, rolling her eyes. "Do sit down, the turkeys getting dead cold."

She hesitated, but slipped into the chair. She looked absolutely terrified. I heard Hermione huffing beside me, and she cut up her turkey with more violence then was necessary. "But where is dear Professor Lupin?" Trelawney asked, looking around the table. Her eyes widened when she saw me and Harry, but thankfully she didn't try and predict our deaths.

"I'm afraid to say that poor Remus has fallen ill again," Dumbledore said, "Quite awful for it to happen on Christmas day, if I say so myself. Severus, I expect you made Remus the potion?"

"Yes Headmaster," Snape said.

"Good. Then I say he shall be up and about in no time. Derek, have you tried the sausages?" Dumbledore said, handing the plate to the nervous first-year. Derek blushed furiously, and took the plate in shaking hands.

Remarkably, for the rest of the dinner, Trelawney managed to behave almost normally. Weird, I know.

Full up from all the food, I turned to the others and said, "Ready to go back to the common room?" They nodded, and at the same time me, Harry, and Ron all stood up. Trelawney shrieked, and screamed, "Which of you stood up first? Who was it?"

"I dunno," I said, looking at Ron and Harry. They just shrugged. I looked at the other three, and they shook their heads. Hermione looked more annoyed now then before.

"I doubt it matters," McGonagall said impatiently, "Unless there is a mad axe-man is standing in the Entrance Hall, getting ready to kill the first person who sets foot out of the Great Hall." Everyone laughed, but Trelawney, who was looking affronted. We walked around the table, and I turned to Hermione, who was still sitting in her seat. "Coming?" I asked. She shook her busy head and said, "No. I want a word with McGonagall."

"Bet she's asking if she can take more classes," Iggy yawned. When he stretched his arms over his head, I spotted something bulky under his jumper. "Iggy," I said in a falsely bright voice. "Yes Max?" Iggy said.

I stepped closer to him, and grabbed his jumper. "Oh Max. What are you doing?" Fang asked behind us. I lifted Iggy's jumper, and I watched as Iggy paled. Something big and heavy fell from his jumper and onto the floor. It was an average alarm clock, but it was covered in wires. "What the hell is this?" I growled. "Er, Gazzy's Christmas present," he mumbled. My eyes widened. That was what Iggy promised Gazzy at King's Cross! He was going to blow something up as a Christmas present! And here I thought Iggy couldn't get any more stupid.

"Get rid of it," I growled. "Now!" "But what about Gazzy's-"

"I'm sure you can find a better present for him. Now get rid of it, Iggy. And if I get the tiniest smell of something exploding, I will personally make sure that you can never have children. Understand?" Iggy gulped and nodded. He walked away to the dungeons, and I really didn't want to know where he was going to leave it, but at this stage, I couldn't care less.

We walked up to Gryffindor tower, where Sir Cadogan was having a little party with some monks.

"Merry Easter!" he hiccoughed, swinging his glass of wine around. "Password?"

"Scurvy cur...And it's Christmas you idiot!" I snapped. He smiled, not even paying attention to what we were saying. The portrait swung open and we stepped in. I ran straight to my dormitory and grabbed my guitar and brought it down to the common room. I sat in front of the fire, playing the songs Jeb had taught me. Harry was stroking his Firebolt, which I thought was going a bit too far, and Ron, and Fang were staring at it admirably. Iggy still hadn't come back yet.

The portrait hole opened again, and Hermione and Iggy walked in, accompanied by McGonagall. Even though she was Head of Gryffindor, she was rarely in the common room, and the only time before that I have seen her here was last year when she told us the school might be closed down. That was when Lord Voldemort had possessed me, and made me attack Muggle-borns.

Hermione walked straight past us, and sat in the empty armchair in the corner, picked up a book and covered her face with it. _Oh crap, _I thought. _She's done something. _

"So that's it, is it?" McGonagall said, looking at the Firebolt. "Miss Granger has just told me that you've been sent a broomstick, Potter." We all turned to stare at Hermione, who was hidden behind her book, but I could see her forehead going red. "May I?" she said, pulling the Firebolt from his hands. She examined it, turning it this way and that way, and eventually she said, "Hmm. And there wasn't any note? No message at all?"

Harry just shook his head, looking scared for his broomstick. I clutched my guitar protectively. There wasn't any note or message with the guitar. Would Hermione of told McGonagall about that as well? "I see..." McGonagall went on. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take this Potter," she said. I gaped at her. So did the others. Harry scrambled to his feet, and stammered, "W-Why?"

"It will need to be checked for jinxes. Of course, I'll have to ask Madam Hooch for some help, as I'm not an expert,and Professor Flitwick. The two of them will be able to strip it down-"

"Strip it down?" we all gasped. This was a nightmare. I wonder what was going through Harry's mind. "It shouldn't take more then a few weeks. You can have it back when it's jinx free. I shall keep you informed," McGonagall said, putting the Firebolt under her arm, and walking out of the portrait hole.

Straight away, Ron rounded on Hermione. "Why did you go running to McGonagall?" he shouted. Hermione stood up and even though she was blushing like crazy, she held her own ground. "I went to McGonagall because I think, and she agrees with me, that Sirius Black could of sent that broomstick to Harry!"

* * *

><p>After Hermione's explanation, I didn't feel angry with her. She was only trying to help,and keep Harry safe. The boys however, weren't as understanding.<p>

They were being so rude to her, and not even looking at her, that she avoided the common room. She was mainly in the library, and I spent my days either with her, or the boys. After the New Year, everything was more busy. On the night before term started again, Wood walked over to me and Harry.

"Did you guys have a good Christmas?" he asked, but without waiting for an answer, said "Look, I need to know if you've sorted out your Dementor problem. Because if you haven't-"

"We're getting it sorted Oliver," Harry said shortly. Oliver's eyes widened, and I said, "Yup. Lupin's training us all how to protect ourselves from them. We're starting this week."

"Oh, great!" Wood said. "In that case, Harry have you gotten a new broom yet?" Harry shook his head. "No." Wood gaped at him. "You haven't-"

"He was sent a Firebolt for Christmas," I said. "A Firebolt? Seriously? A real-"

"Don't get excited Oliver," Harry said, sounding defeated. "I haven't got it anymore. It's been confiscated." He then explained why McGonagall confiscated it, how she thought it might be jinxed. "Jinxed? Why would the Firebolt be jinxed?" he said. "Sirius Black," Harry sighed. "He's meant to be after me. McGonagall thinks he sent it to me." Not even paying attention to the fact that a mass murderer was after his Seeker, he said, "But Black couldn't just stroll into the shop and buy a Firebolt! He's on the run from the Ministry."

"That't what I was thinking," Harry said, looking deeply depressed. "But she wants to strip it down-"

Wood went green, and I thought he was going to be sick. "Don't worry. I'll talk to McGonagall for you. If she wants us to win, we'll need the Firebolt. She's so insane..."

The next day, classes started again. The last thing anyone wanted was to spend more then two hours outside on a cold January morning. But it was Defense Against the Dark Arts class that I was looking forward to. Me, Harry, Fang and Iggy all agreed to ask Lupin at the end of class when would our anti-Dementor classes start. So after an enjoyable lesson, the four of us walked over to Lupin's desk.

"Ah yes," he said after we asked him. Well more like demanded but...whatever. "Let me see...How's Thursday evening at eight o'clock? I know the History of Magic classroom is always open so we could use that. I really need to think on how we should do this...I obviously can't bring a real Dementor into the school..."

"Sir, what about Nudge?" I asked. He stared at me. "The Dementors affect her as well," I said. "She's only a first-year, Max. There is no way she'd be able to do this. When she's older, I'm sure you'll be able to teach her. I'll see you on Thursday," he said, and we left the room.

"He still looks ill doesn't he?" Iggy said as we walked down the corridor. Ron nodded beside him. He had waited for us outside the classroom door, whereas Hermione had just left. "I wonder what's wrong with him?" Fang said. I frowned. What was wrong with him? It seemed like he only got sick once a month...As i thought back, it was always around a-a-

Oh, holy Merlin.

But it couldn't be true. Dumbledore wouldn't let a werewolf teach in the school! It's just crazy. So maybe it was all a huge coincidence. I made a mental note to talk to Hermione about it later.

Speaking of Hermione...

There was the sound of an impatient "tuh" from behind us. Hermione was standing behind a suit or armor, trying to shove books into her about-to-burst-bag. "Whats the matter with you?" Iggy said meanly. I glared at him but he ignored me. Git.

"Nothing," Hermione said, trying to life her bag over her shoulder. "Yes there is," Ron said. "We were wondering what was wrong with Lupin, and you started tutting-"

"Well isn't it obvious?" Hermione said. My eyes widened, and I stared at her. She stared back, but didn't say anything. "If you want to tell us, go on. If not, don't," Ron snapped. "Fine," Hermione said, and after giving me another knowing look, she stomped off.

"She doesn't actually know," Ron said, watching her as she strolled down the corridor. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again."

"Excuse me," I said, and he looked at me, "Unless you've forgotten, I still talk to her. I don't hate her for just doing what she can to make sure her friends are safe. Giver her a break Ron." He didn't say anything, he just stared at the floor.

At eight o'clock on Thursday, me, Harry, Fang and Iggy left the common room for the History of Magic classroom. It was empty, and dark when we arrived, so the four of us went around the class lighting the candles with our wands. In about five minutes, Lupin showed up. I swallowed, thinking of my theory. I never got the chance to talk to Hermione about him. Whenever we were alone together, she was either doing mountains of homework, or else asleep, and she refused to talk to me when I was with the boys.

Professor Lupin was carrying a large case, and left it on Professor Binn's desk. "What's that?" Iggy asked. "It's another Boggart," Lupin said. "I know all of your Boggarts' are different but when Harry approaches the Boggart, it will turn into a Dementor,and then all of you will use that. Any questions?" We shook our heads.

"Good. Now, the spell I am going to try and teach you is called a Patronus Charm. Well beyond the Ordinary Wizards Level. It's very highly advance magic. Do you all understand that?" We nodded. "Excellent. Now, the spell is called a Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" Harry asked, looking nervous.

"When it works properly it will produce a Patronus, which acts like a sort of Dementor shield. A guardian really," Lupin explained. He waited for that to sink in before continuing. "A Patronus is like a positive force, like a projection of all the things Dementors actually feed on - happiness, love, hope- but it can't feel despair, or sadness, like humans can, so a Dementor can't hurt it. I must warn you all again that it is a very advance spell that many fully grown wizards had problems with."

"What does a Patronus look like?" I asked.

"Each one is different to each wizard."

"How do you conjure it?" Fang asked, who was holding his wand tight in his hand.

"With an incantation, which will only work if you are concentrating on a very, very happy memory," Lupin said, smiling.

I went through all my memories. Well, obviously, nothing from before I was ten. I settled with the feeling I had when we were taken out of the school, the feeling of knowing that I was never going back there, never going through it. Yeah, that was a really happy memory.

"Right," I said, nodding. The other stayed quiet for another few minutes, but eventually they all said, "Right," and got their wands ready.

"Now, the incantation is Expecto Patronum," Lupin said.

"Expecto Patronum...Expecto Patronum..." the four of us muttered under our breath. "Concentrating on that happy memory?" Lupin asked. We all nodded. "Ready to try it on the Boggart?"

"Yes," we all said. We moved into the middle of the room, but Lupin said, "Harry will go first, but right then, Max, you go straight after, alright? Then Fang, then Iggy. Alright?" We nodded, and held our wands out, ready.

Lupin put his hand on the case, and opened it.

_**Yay! Second chapter in two days! I love holidays! Whoop!**_

_**I'll put a picture of Max's guitar on my profile, of you wanna check it out :) **_

_**Thanks for all the early birthday wishes, even though its in more then 20 days! Haha thanks :)**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews!**_

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	17. The Patronus

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**You guys are amazing! I now have 140 reviews! it looks like i might get the 150 by my birthday! I love you guys so much!**_

**_Virtual cookies and Butterbeer for everyone! Whoop!_**

**_I have the best fans _****_in the world :') _**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_Oh and I apologize in advance for how bad this chapter may be. I haven't been feeling that well lately, and I couldn't concentrate on this. I'm sorry, but the chapter will get better, I promise :)_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

Harry stared at the case on the desk, waiting for it to open. When Lupin opened it, a Dementor slithered out and immediately turned to face Harry. The lamps and candles around flickered, and gradually went out. The room turned icy cold, and I was able to see my breath in the air. Harry raised his wand into the air, pointing it right at the Dementor. He had an odd look on his face, like he was upset, but enjoying it all the same. Of course, I thought. Being near a Dementor was the only time he had ever heard his mother! This must be really hard on him.

The Dementor glided out of the box, and started towards Harry, gasping, and taking rattling breaths.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry shouted. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto-" He faltered, and his hand started shaking. He was going to pass out again, I thought, watching him become paler and paler. He feel onto the floor, twitching slightly, and as I made my way over to him, Lupin yelled, "No, Max. The Dementor!" I nodded,and turned back to the Dementor.

The screaming started in my head, but I did my best to block it out. I could vaguely see Lupin out of the corner of my eye trying to wake up Harry, who was mumbling to himself. I raised my wand and screamed, "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!"Wisps of white mist started flowing from my wand, but the Dementor kept coming closer and closer to me.

I felt like I was falling in thick fog, not knowing up from down or right from left. I tried once more, "Expecto Patromun!" This time, more white mist came from my wand, and the Dementor actually hesitated. I smiled, before falling onto my butt.

"Ow," I mumbled, and I fell onto my back. I didn't pass out, I just lay there for a few minutes, listening to Fang and Iggy tackle the Dementor. They both shouted a lot, and produced white mist, but eventually they too fell down. I'm not sure whether or not they passed out or not, but I'm pretty sure they did.

Lupin came over to me, and knelt beside my head. "That was fantastic Max! Much better then I expected on your first try." I smiled slightly, and said, "I'm not always what people expect." Lupin chuckled, and said, "Here. This chocolate will help," and he reached into his robes and pulled out piles and piles of chocolate. I sat up slowly, feeling really tired, and smirked, "You really like chocolate, don't you Professor?" He laughed.

"Without chocolate, where would we be in life?" he said, breaking me a piece and handing it to me. He then went around the room, relighting the lamps and candles, asn waited for others to wake up. When Harry stirred, both me and Lupin sat beside him. "Harry!" I said, slapping him in the face. Lupin stared at me. I shrugged, grinning. Something flickered in his eyes, but he didn't say anything.

Harry's eyes flickered open, and he sat up. "Sorry," he muttered, fixing his glasses, which were falling down his face. "Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded and leaned against the nearest desk. "Here," Lupin said, handing his a Chocolate Frog. "Eat this before Fang and Iggy wake up. We'll try again. I'm not surprise you didn't get it on the first try. I would of been astounded if you had."

"It's getting worse," Harry muttered, blushing a bit. "I could hear her worse. And I could hear him- Voldemort," he added, when I frowned at him. Lupin paled and ran a hand through his graying hair. "Harry, if you don't want to continue, I would understand."

"I do!" Harry said, jumping to his feet. "I need to! We can't afford to lose another match, and we will lose if a Dementor shows up! I want to do this." Lupin turned to me, silently asking me the same thing. I nodded, a determined look on my face. "Well alright then. Now we just have to wait for Fang and Iggy to wake up-"

"Not going to be a problem," I said, and walked over to said idiots on slightly shaky legs. I knelt in between the two of them, and I gave Lupin and Harry an evil grin. Harry rolled his eyes, knowing what I was going to do. I leaned down, and shouted, "WAKE UP YOU LAZY GITS!" They jerked awake, eyes wide, but looking exhausted. "Oh, look, their awake!" I said brightly, smiling at them. They glared at me. Iggy's glares have definitely gotten much better after getting his eyesight back.

"Alright then. You should all pick a different memory, a happier one and you really need to concentrate on it. Ready?" Lupin said, getting ready to open the box again.

"Ready," the four of us chorused. I've never felt so serious in my life. Well, except for fighting Erasers, but that's different. No, what's scary is the look Iggy had on his face. Even in dangerous situations, Iggy was able to crack a joke, made everything seem better then it was. That was one of the things I loved about him. But now, he's lips were set in a thin line, and his eyes were blazing with determination.

Fang's face, on the other hand, was an emotionless wall, like always so that didn't surprise me one bit. Harry looked determined and eager. We took our positions in the middle of the room, and readied our wands.

I decided on instead on focusing on one particular memory, I'd focus on all of the happy ones I could think of. Leaving the School, living with Jeb, finding out I was a witch, and seeing Hogwarts for the first time. Getting Sorted into Gryffindor, with all my new friends. I smiled as I remember Hermione and Iggy hugging me after they were Petrified last year, the feeling of seeing them safe and happy. Every good thing that's happened to me in the last few years flickered through my mind as I got ready to fight the Dementor.

"Go!" Lupin shouted suddenly, and he opened the box. Once again, the Dementor slipped from the box, and headed straight towards Harry. The room filled with intense cold again, and my teeth started chattering. The Dementor reached out with a rotted hand, reaching towards Harry-

"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patro-" He didn't make it this time either. Although this time, the made more white mist come from his wand, and I could of sworn I saw something really small with four legs in the middle of the mist.

Guess it's my turn again.

I turned to the Dementor and raised my wand. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!" I shouted. The screaming and laughter in my head was definitely there, but somehow it seemed more muted, getting softer and louder, but then softer again. I could see the Dementor stalling, hesitating, not being able to move any further. Then a bright, silver shadow burst from my wand, staying right in between me and the Dementor. My legs felt like jelly, and I thought I was going to collapse at any moment. Lupin must of seen it in my face, because he shouted, "Fang! Go!" I lowered my wand, and sank slowly to my feet.

"Excellent, Max. Well done," Lupin said, giving me chocolate. I smiled, and stuffed the chocolate into my mouth. Warmth spread to every part of me, and let me tell you, that felt amazing after going against the Dementor. I sat and watched Fang shouting, "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!" He did better this time around and managed to created a small barrier between himself and the Dementor, a bit like what I did. He eventually couldn't handle it, and fell on his butt.

Lupin started to go over to him, but I stood up and said, "I'll do it." Lupin nodded and gave me three Chocolate Frogs. I walked over to Fang, and wasn't surprised to see he was out of it. I sat beside him, and only after a few short minutes did he wake up. I silently handed him the Chocolate Frogs,and he ate them the way Fang does anything- silently.

We both watched Iggy fight the Dementor. He didn't last as long as Fang did, but he wasn't out of it for as long either. Harry, on the other hand, still wasn't awake. We all crowded around him, staring at him. Yeah, were weird, don't remind me. Hell, I have freaking voice in my head! That's not normal!

Lupin crouched beside him, and shook his shoulder lightly, whispering "Harry...wake up...Harry..." I rolled my eyes. Honestly, the adults these days have too much manners! "Sir, your never going to get anywhere by being polite and gentle," I said, and I moved closer to Harry. I shook him roughly, making his head go back and forth, and said loudly "Wake up!" I started tapping him hard in the face.

His eye's flickered open, and flashed with confusion. He sat up, and I smiled smugly at Lupin. He grinned,and turned to Harry. Before he could ask Harry whether he was alright or not, Harry was already talking. "I heard my dad," he said, sitting up and rubbing his head. "That's the first time I've ever heard him. He tried to fight Voldemort, and give my mum a chance to run with me." I saw tears leak out of his startling green eyes, and mix with the sweat on his face. I looked away, knowing he wouldn't of wanted anyone to notice. He managed to wipe them away without no one watching.

"You heard James?" Lupin said in a strange voice, almost sad. Harry nodded, not particularly looking at anything. Something clicked in his eyes, and he slowly turned to look at Lupin. "You didn't know my dad, did you?" Lupin cleared his throat, and said, "Er, I did, actually. Were were good friends when we were at Hogwarts. Er, listen, maybe we should leave it for tonight. It is a ridiculously advanced spell and-"

"No!" The four of us said. Harry jumped to his feet, and I stood beside him. "One more go!" Iggy said beside me. "Were not concentrating on happy enough memories is all," Fang said, nodding eagerly. Seriously, start these guys on something new, and bang! Your screwed for life!

"Oh, alright. But Max, your sitting this one out. You've already done enough, and done more then I expected. You've done enough for this weak, so just sit over there-" Lupin indicated to a chair in the corner, "And you can eat these," he finished, handing me a handful of Chocolate Frogs, and other chocolates from Honeydukes. "Fine," I said, taking them and going over to sit in the chair.

I stared at the others as they took their positions in the middle of the room. I wondered if I had looked as determined as Harry, as eager as Fang, or as driven as Iggy.

"Ready?" Lupin asked. The three boys nodded. "Concentrating hard?" They nodded again. "Alright! Go!" he said, and he pulled open the case again. The Dementor rose from it once more and the room became shockingly cold.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed so loudly that I jumped and the chocolate scattered everywhere. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

For a second, I thought nothing was going to happen, but then the same white barrier from my wand erupted from his, and caused the Dementor to halt where he was, not able to get any closer. I smiled at him, but he didn't see me. When he didn't fall onto his feet, Lupin stepped forward and shouted, "Sit with Max, Harry. Fang, go!" Fang stepped forward, and Harry stumbled towards me. He saw all the chocolate on the floor and grinned. "Sorry about that," he said, bending down to pick them up.

But just like with me, when Fang started shouting, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he jumped and dropped all the chocolates onto the floor again. He grinned and picked them up again, dumping them on the table, and he said, "Was I that loud?" I shook my head, "You were louder." He chuckled and unwrapped a Chocolate Frog. . He sat beside me and we watched Fang scream louder then he's even done before. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Like us, Fang was able to make the silver barrier. He kept it going until Iggy was ready, and stumbled over to us and without a word, started stuffing his face with chocolate.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Iggy bellowed. I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't that loud and I did it," I mumbled, but no one heard me as Iggy started shouting the incantation again. It took him slightly longer to make the huge silver shadow barrier, but he managed it. It was obvious that it had taken a lot out of him, but he didn't say anything.

"Riddikulus!" Lupin cried, and the Dementor disappeared. The three boy's looked absolutely exhausted, and my legs still felt like jelly.

"Excellent!" Lupin shouted. "Very, very well done. Although, I must admit, it is tricky with all four of you together. What do you say about individual lessons?" he asked. I looked at Fang and Iggy. I didn't like the idea of leaving any member of the flock. In fact, I hated it. Leaving Gazzy and Angel this summer was even more hard then usual. Although, I didn't envy Angel and the Weasley's. There's a reason we call him the The Gasman. But, you don't want to know. But a bit of useful advice. Never ever go into a small space with Gazzy...just don't...I had to learn that the hard way.

They thought of it, but nodded. I took a breath, and nodded as well. Harry nodded, a Chocolate Frog hanging from his mouth. "Brilliant! Now, that was definitely a start! Now-" he went to us all, giving us each our new time and day of the new lessons for each of us.

While we were getting our things, Lupin went around the class, extinguishing the lamps and candle that were still left on. "Sir, if you knew my dad-" Harry started, and I just knew where it was going. "Then you must of known Sirius Black?"

Lupin turned quickly.

"What gives you that idea?" he asked sharply. I turned to Harry. Oh, smart boy. Bring up the man who pretty much killed his best friend. Great.

"It's just, I knew that Black and my dad were friends," Harry said, never changing his expression.

Lupin breathed out heavily. "Yes, Harry. I knew him. Well, I thought I knew him..." a strange look crossed his face. It was like a mixture of confusion, disbelief and pain. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Lupin cleared his throat and smiled. "You four better be off, it's getting late," he said.

We left the classroom, and walked back to the common room. Half way there we sank down onto the floor to finish the lumps of chocolate we had taken from Lupin. "That was fun," I said, grinning. "Oh, you have no idea," Iggy said sarcastically. I noticed that Harry had a distant look in his eyes. Wonder what he was thinking about...

_**Is it really that hard Maximum?**_ the Voice butted in. _Oh yes, Voice because I recently got the power to read minds! __I'm not Angel!_ I thought. And yes, Angel's mind-reading skills were definitely becoming more strong.

_**He's after spending half and hour in that room listening to his dead parent's last moments. What would you be thinking if that was you? **_Oh, Merlin, this Voice is annoying. I do agree with it though. But I would never tell anyone that, though. How embarrassing would that be?

I didn't want to say anything to Harry. Just let him think it over on his own.

We finished our chocolate and headed back to Gryffindor tower, listening to Iggy insult the Slytherins the whole way. Oh, life would be boring without that crazy little pyro.

A week after the start of term, Slytherin beat Ravenclaw, though narrowly. According to Wood, this was good news for us, as we would go into second place if we beat Ravenclaw, and win if we beat Slytherin after that. With the prospect of winning the Quidditch Cup in the air, Wood had increased training sessions to five days a week, leaving barely any time for me to do anything other then homework, which I probably wouldn't of done if Hermione wasn't over my shoulder the whole time.

It made spending time with Fang, Iggy and Nudge very hard. We still tried our best, going flying together most mornings. The four of us sent letters to the Weasley's, Gazzy, and Angel nearly everyday as well. Call it sad, or whatever you want, but it's just what we did.

Even with all the work I had to do, it wasn't anything compared to what Hermione had to do. Every night without fail, Hermione was to be found sitting in the corner of the common room, taking up several tables just for herself which were covered in many books for every subject. She barely talked to anyone, including me, and snapped and snarled at anyone who dared interrupt her. I have to admit, her snarl was frighting. I was so proud of her.

"How's she doing it?" Ron whispered to me one afternoon in the common room by the fire. I looked at Hermione, and you could barely see her behind the towering pile of books.

"Doing what?" Fang asked, scribbling out his Potions essay. "Getting to all her classes!" Ron exasperated. "Um, I dunno..." I said. "Maybe she walks to her classes?" I rolled my eyes at him, and turned back to my homework. Harry and I were really behind, and without Hermione for help, all the boys (except Fang, who was actually smart) were depending on me to help them. I will never understand how Hermione did it! It's so hard to get through to them!

"No! Listen, this morning, I overheard Hermione talking to Professor Vector, you know, the Arithmancy teacher, and they were talking about yesterdays lesson. She couldn't of been in Arithmancy because that;s at the same time as Care of Magical Creatures, and she was there yesterday!" Ron said, his eyes flickering towards her every so often. "Well, I honestly don't know then because she hasn't told me anything. You know Hermione. If a teacher was doing something to help her get to all her classes, and told her not to say anything, then she won't say anything! She's not going to tell any of us anything until she's allowed to," I said without looking up from my homework.

He didn't say anything else about the subject, but he didn't really get a chance. Wood came over to us and sat beside Harry. "Bad new's Harry," he said, running his hands through his hair. "I've just been to see McGonagall about the Firebolt. Let's just say she got quite shirty with me. Seems to think I care more about winning the cup then about your safety. All because I told her I didn't care whether or not the broomstick threw you off, just as long as you caught the Snitch first," he shook his head, as if it was terrible. "Seriously, the way she was screaming at me..You'd swear I said something awful! Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it and she said as long as necessary. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I think you need to order a new broom, Harry. You could get a Nimbus Two Thousand and One, like the one Malfoy's got."

"There's no way I'm buying anything Malfoy thinks is good," Harry said.

January faded fast into February, with absolutely no change to the weather. Our anti-Dementor lessons weren't going as well as planned. A few lessons in, I wasn't able to do anymore then the same silvery shadow. Harry, Fang and Iggy weren't do any better in their own individual lessons.

"Your expecting too much of yourself," Lupin would tell me. "For a thirteen-year-old witch, what your doing now is amazing."

I just hoped it was enough in case Dementor's came to the next match against Ravenclaw.

_**I know, I know, it was a terrible chapter. Like I said at the top, I haven't been feeling the best for the last few days. I swear though, it will get better! **_

_**Because of the terrible chapter, you all get more virtual cookies and Butterbeer! Yay for virtual things!**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter!**_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_


	18. Lions Vs Eagles

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_Sorry for the delay. First week back to school is always hectic for me. _**

**_What about you guys? How was school for you? Or have some of you been back for a while?_**

**_I feel much better now, but seriously tired! _**

**_Thanks for all the reviews! Love you guys!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

A few weeks after starting anti-Dementor classes, I was sitting in the common room, rewriting an essay for Snape, who wasn't happy with the first one because I mispelled one word. It was Harry's night for his lessons, so it was just five of us sitting together for the evening.

The portrait hole opened, and I looked up to see whether or not it was Harry, but it wasn't. It was Professor McGonagall.

I frowned, and looked around at the others. They all looked as confused as I felt. She ignored the other Gryffindors, and set straight for us. I turned to Fang, and mouthed, "What the hell did we do now?" He just shrugged, not looking very worried. I turned back to McGonagall, and that was when I noticed she was carrying something under her armpit. I looked at it, and gasped.

It was Harry's Firebolt. McGonagall stopped in front of us, and with all the gasps coming from around the room, and within our little corner, I wasn't the only one that had noticed the broomstick. "Where is Mr Potter?" she asked impatiently. "Er, he's with Professor Lupin," Ron answered. "Right. Thank you Mr Weasley. I will try to find them now." She said, starting towards the portrait hole.

I quickly stood up and said, "Professor, I'm sure Harry would be along soon, and I could take the Firebolt, to safe you the trouble," I said, smiling sweetly,and innocently. I'm sure she could see right through it though. The day I was sweet and innocent was the day Snape washed his hair.

"Thank you for the offer, Miss Ride, but I am more then capable to hand a teenage boy a broomstick. Goodbye," McGonagall said, and she walked straight out of the common room without talking or looking at anyone. "That was...strange," Iggy said, breaking the silence. "You got that right," Ron said. "I can't believe Harry's getting the Firebolt back!" I said, thinking of the Quidditch match on Saturday against Ravenclaw.

"Well, he would of had it all along if Hermione hadn't-" Ron started, but I whacked him over the head, and he immediately shut up. Ah, it's nice to know that they learn.

We sat around, talking and finishing homework, when the portrait hole opened again. This time, it was Harry. And he was carrying his Firebolt, and had the biggest smile on his face I've ever seen.

"She gave it to you! Brilliant! Ravenclaw don't stand a chance on Saturday!" Iggy shouted, bounding out of his seat and running to Harry.

"Listen Harry, can I have a go on it?"

"That's wicked, Harry!"

"Where did you get it?"

"Can I just hold it Harry!"

"Ravenclaw are only on Cleansweep Seven's! There not going to stand a chance!"

That's what followed after Harry came back to Gryffindor tower. Everyone crowded around us, shouting and squealing about the Firebolt. Hermione sat in the corner of the room at her own table that was completely covered with books and her head was down, her quill doing fifty miles an hour.

I slowly made my way over to her, and after a few minutes, the boy's followed me. Harry was still holding the Firebolt, and he held it out and beamed, "See, Hermione? I got it back." Hermione looked up, and gave him a small, strained smile. "That's great Harry," she said, tiredly. "There wasn't anything wrong with the Firebolt! That was just all a big waste of time!" Ron said. I was about to say something, but Hermione beat me to it.

"There might of been! You didn't have any idea where that came from! You still don't! At least now you know that it's safe," she said. I smiled at her.

"I suppose so," Harry said, smiling at her as well.

Neville appeared over his shoulder, looking upset and confused. "Hey, Neville," I said. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," he said miserably. "It's just, Sir Cadogan keeps changing all the passwords! I convinced him a few days ago to tell me all the passwords for this week, and I wrote them down. But the thing is, I've lost it! I had to wait outside until a nice sixth-year came and told him the password. He's a complete nutter!" Poor Neville. He really did have the worst luck with his memory. I nodded, and said, "Don't worry about it, Neville. I'm sure you can get all the passwords out of him again. There's no reason to be upset." I smiled, and he grinned at us.

But, like a typical boy, he freaked out when he saw the Firebolt...which didn't make much sense seeing as he doesn't really like the sport. That took another ten minutes before Neville left. Harry was looking at his broomstick, and he said, "I think I'll put it upstairs."

"I'll do it!" Ron said quickly, grabbing the Firebolt out of Harry's hands, and carried it up the stairs to the boy's dormitory like it was made of glass. "Can we sit down, Hermione?" I asked, indicating to the free seats. "Yeah, of course," she said, put she still didn't stop doing her homework. I stared at all the books, and notes around the table, and looked at Harry. I raised my eyebrows, and he grinned. "How are you doing this?" he asked.

"Doing what?" Hermione asked absently.

"All this work!" I said, picking up her Ancient Runes books and looking in it. I sort of understood it, because Hermione had taken to teaching me a few simple ones every night.

"Oh, well, hard work, I guess. Going to the library a lot," she said, yawning. She looked almost as tired as Professor Lupin.

"Maybe if you dropped a few subjects..." Fang said, picking up her timetable, and looking at it with a bamboozled expression. "I couldn't do that!" Hermione gasped, horrified at the thought. "Arithmancy looks like torture," Iggy said, flicking through her book. Hermione's expression brightened immediately.

"Oh, it's not! I amazing, my favorite subject actually! It's-"

We never got to find out what Arithmancy was because at that moment Ron came running down the stairs, holding his bed sheets. At first, I thought he was crazy, and wanted to make a toga out of it or something, but then I noticed the red on the bottom...

"LOOK!" Ron bellowed, shoving the sheet in Hermione's face. "LOOK!" he yelled again, shaking it right under Hermione's nose.

"Ron, I really don't-"

"SCABBERS! LOOK!" he yelled again. Hermione started leaning away from Ron and his sheet, looking bewildered. I looked again at the red on the bottom of his bed sheet. It looked a lot like-

"BLOOD!" he screamed. "AND I FOUND THIS ON THE FLOOR BY MY BED!" He raised his other hand, and Hermione gasped, "N-no."

Ron lay his hand flat so we could all see what was in it.

A few strands of long, spiky, ginger cat hair.

* * *

><p>It seemed to everyone that Ron and Hermione's friendship was over. Even me and Hermione got into a row because she asked whether I believed Ron, or her, about what happened to Scabbers. Apparently, I took too long to answer, so she assumed that I was taking Ron's side. It took her a while to come around, but eventually she believed me when I said I wasn't taking sides.<p>

Hermione debated that Ron had absolutely no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, and that the cat hairs could of been there since Christmas, but Ron fought that she wasn't keeping close enough eye on Crookshanks, and was defending the cat as if it was innocent.

Personally though, I was pretty sure Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers. I just didn't think it was good time to put my opinion about this out in the open. Harry, Fang, Iggy and I would usually just sit in the common room while Ron and Hermione sat at either sides of us, not speaking or looking at each other. Apparently, Ron had taken the loss of Scabbers very hard, and was deeply depressed about it.

"Come on Ron," George said. "You were always saying that Scabbers was useless."

"Yeah, and he was off-color for ages, wasn't he?" Fred went on. "He was just wasting away. Could of been better for him to snuff it quickly- one swallow, he probably didn't even feel anything."

"Fred!" Ginny squealed.

"Oh, Fred, don't be so mean. Ron liked Scabbers, and now he's gone. I don't suppose you get it really because I've never seen you with a pet- or maybe you had one before! Well, I'm not sure, but you shouldn't be so insensitive to your own brother, Fred! It's not nice and-"

"Nudge!" We snapped. She shut her mouth, and blushed.

"Fred's got a point though," I said, smiling at Nudge as she looked sheepishly around at us. "All he did was eat and sleep. You used to say it yourself, Ron. He's never done much else," I said, hoping I didn't sound to harsh.

"He bit Goyle for us before!" Ron said, looking more miserable then I've ever seen him before. "Remember? That was brilliant."

George stood up,and put a hand on his chest where his heard would be, and said in a slow, mourning voice, "And may the tiny scar on his finger be a tribute to Scabbers for ever."

Me and Harry agreed that in a way to cheer Ron up, we would let him come with us to Quidditch practice, and afterwards Harry was going to let Ron have a go on his Firebolt. Ron definitely looked much, much happier after we told him this.

It was the final practice before the match, so it was the hardest, toughest training session we've ever done before. Once again, when we walked onto the pitch, everyone started fawning over the Firebolt, including Madam Hooch, who only gave Harry back his broomstick after Wood said awkwardly, "Er, Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry has his Firebolt back? We kinda need to practice."

She gave it back to Harry with a slight hesitation, and ten her and Ron went over to the stands to sit.

Wood called a meeting before we started, and he turned straight to Harry. "Harry, I've found out who the Ravenclaw Seeker is. It's Cho Chang, a fourth-year girl. She's pretty good, but I was hoping she wouldn't be able to play. She had some problems with injuries a while ago..." he frowned, as if he was angry that Cho Chang had recovered. "Anyway, she's her Comet Two-Sixty will look like a complete joke next to your Firebolt." He gave it another look, then said, "Right, let's go," and he kicked into the air, flying towards the goals.

The rest of us followed, and when I shot into the air, feeling the wind in my face, and my hair wiping behind me. I soared and swerved, and nearly fell off my Nimbus Two Thousand when Harry flew past me, faster then I've ever seen before in my life.

Whenever myself, Angelina and Katie played Quidditch, nothing else mattered to us. All we were focused on was getting the Quaffle through one of the three goal posts, past Oliver, who managed to save plenty of them, but we did score more then fifty times during the entire session.

It was one of the best training sessions we've ever had.

When it was finished, the rest of the team left, all in high spirits for the match tomorrow, but Harry, Ron and I stayed behind so Ron could have a ride on the Firebolt. Harry walked around the pitch, watching him, and I lay down on the ground, looking at the cloudless sky. I had an idea, and looked around the pitch. Madam Hooch was sitting in the stands, still watching over our practices, but she was fast asleep.

I stood up again and tore off my Quidditch robe, so I was only in my pants and top. Thankfully, I was wearing one of my tops that had the slits in my back, so I whipped out my wings and took a running start and leaped into the air.

It felt amazing to be able to fly again, and everything around me seemed to disappear. It was only me, my wings and the sky.

Night had fallen before we had to stop. Madam Hooch had woken up, and when she did, I dived straight into one of the stands on the other side of the field, and out of sight. I heard her shouting at Harry and Ron for not waking her up, but then she asked, "Where's Miss Ride?" I held my breath, wondering what they were going to say. "She left," Harry said quickly. "Yeah, she left a while ago. Said she got hungry and needed to finish some homework," Ron added.

"And you let her go alone? While there's a killer on the lose? Some friends you two are! Let's go, were going back to the castle right now!" Madam Hooch snapped. I stayed still, not moving. I know Professor Dumbledore told the teachers about our wings, and how we got them, but I didn't really feel like having people staring at them.

I raised my head slightly enough to see Harry shouldering his Firebolt, and him, Ron and Madam Hooch walked out of the stadium.

I spread my wings again when they were out of sight, and flew slowly down to the ground. I picked up my robe (thankfully, Madam Hooch hadn't seen them) and pulled it on. I picked up my Nimbus Two Thousand, and walked out of the Quidditch pitch. I just about saw the front doors closing, and I hoped they wouldn't lock it.

I started walking faster and faster, but came to a stop when I heard growling behind me. I wheeled around, looking at the trees. I saw a pair of bright, grey eyes in between two shadowy trees. I walked closer to it, transfixed by it's eyes. The thing came further out, and I was able to see it's head. What I saw was enough to make my heart stop.

It was a gigantic, black, shaggy dog. I backed up slowly, never taking my eyes off the dog. Or wolf. It was certainly big enough to be big enough to be a wolf.

The dog/wolf thing stared at me, then started backing up, looking at the floor. It ran away into the trees, not looking back. I let out a relieved breath, and after looking behind me many times, I sprinted back to the castle.

* * *

><p>I didn't say anything to the others about seeing the Grim. I didn't want to upset Harry or the others.<p>

The next morning, the whole Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall together, ready for the match. Heads turned when Harry walked past, even people stood up to get a better look at what was in his hand. There was the buzz of excited chattering, and I felt an odd satisfaction when I watched every single one of Slytherin's stare at us with thunderstruck expressions, or in Crabbe and Goyle's case, confused and mad.

"Did you see his face!" Iggy wheezed, red in the face from laughing. He was pointing at Malfoy, who looked outraged. "He doesn't believe it! This is bloody brilliant!"

Oliver was a bit obsessed with the Firebolt as well. He took it from Harry's hand and said, "Here, leave it there Harry. Where everyone can see it," and he left it on the table so when people walked past they had a perfect view of the top of the range broomstick.

Soon, people from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were coming over to look at it. Cedric Diggory came over to congratulate Harry, then after he left, Ethan walked over, stared at the broomstick, stared at me with his mouth hanging open, then smiled weakly at Harry and walked away. "That friend of your is strange," Fang said bluntly. "No he's not. He's just another Quidditch fan. Maybe a bit more obsessed then usual, but there you have it," I said, sounding defensive.

"If he's such a fan, why isn't he playing with Ravenclaw?" Wood said, looking at Ethan and sizing him up to see whether or not he would be good competition. I shrugged. "Never said why. Maybe he's more of a `I will watch but not play' fans," I said.

At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team left the Great Hall for the changing rooms. The weather was completely different today from the Hufflepuff. The sky was blue and cloudless, and there was a slight breeze.

The usual pep-talk was only one sentence from Wood. "Do your best," was all he said. Which was strange, because usually he told us to die trying.

We walked onto the pitch to the sound of tremendous applause. The Ravenclaw team were already there, dressed in their blue Quidditch uniform, which was quite different to our scarlet ones. I looked at their team.

Cho Chang was the only girl on the Ravenclaw team. She was the smallest on the team, and I couldn't help but notice how stunningly pretty she was. She had long, shiny black hair, and bright brown eyes. I also noticed Harry staring at her, and giving her an awkward smile. I glared at Cho, who wasn't even looking at me, she was too busy smiling at Harry.

"Wood, Davis, shake hands," Madam Hooch called. Wood and Davis stepped forward and shook each others hands.

"Mount your brooms," Madam Hooch "Three...Two...One..." She blew her whistle and I kicked off from the ground hard and I flew straight into the air. Madam Hooch through the Quaffle high into the air, and I darted to it. I caught it in my arms easily and when two of the Ravenclaw Chasers blocked me, I fired it to Katie.

The match went on quickly, and I really found it hard not to laugh at Lee Jordon's commentary. All he could talk about was the Firebolt, and how attractive everyone on the Gryffindor team was.

Our first score was an easy one. Angelina was soaring towards the goal posts with the Quaffle under her arm, and when she saw the Ravenclaw Chasers fly out to her, I dived down low and Angelina was able to throw it to me. I flew upwards again, avoiding the other team and pelted it straight past the Keeper. And after my first score, the rest came easily. Between myself, Angelina and Katie, we were leading Gryffindor eight to nothing.

I almost feel off my broom when McGonagall roared, "JORDON! YOU ARE NOT BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS! GET ON WITH THE MATCH!" Merlin, that woman can scream.

I was flying past Harry and Cho, who were diving towards the ground. I didn't have time to check whether or not they had seen the Snitch, I was too busy trying to find out where Katie had disappeared to...she was there a second ago...

"Oh!" Cho screamed. That was enough to make me stop and look down.

Down on the pitch, were three tall, hooded, Dementors. They were staring at me and Harry. Me and Harry shared a fast look, then we both nodded. I dug into the pocket of my Quidditch robe and pulled out my wand. At the same time, Harry and I roared, "Expecto Patronum!"

Something silver-white burst out of our wands. Harry broke it off after it hit the Dementors, and he immediately went straight for the Golden Snitch that was only inches away from him. When I saw the Dementos fall, I broke off the Patronus and put my wand back into my pocket.

There was a deafening roar from the stands, and I turned on my broomstick to see Harry holding the Snitch in his hand.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and I flew straight to Harry, and the rest of the team followed me, and we pulled him back to the ground. We climbed off our brooms, and the whole school started filing onto the pitch, all screaming, either good, happy things or insults.

"YES!" I heard Ron screaming. "We did it!"

"Good for you!" Seamus roared.

"Brilliant!" Hagrid roared.

"That was quite a Patronus," a calm voice said in my ear. I turned around to see Professor Lupin smiling at me and Harry. "They didn't affect me at all!" Harry said happily. "Same. I didn't feel anything!" I said. "I know," Lupin said. "I was talking to Fang and Iggy too, and they said they didn't feel anything either. But I think that was because they weren't Dementors."

"What?" I said.

"Let me show you," he said, and he led me and Harry away from the crowd.

"I believe you gave Mr Malfoy and his friends quite a fright," Lupin chuckled. I stared at where he was pointing.

Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground was Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Marcus Flint. McGonagall was standing over them, screaming her head off. I started laughing, and I saw Malfoy glare at me, but I just laughed harder.

Before I wet myself, George ran over to us and said, "Come on, Harry, Max! Party in the Gryffindor common room!"

So, all in all, it was a really good day.

_**Hello! So here's the new chapter, and I hope it was good! I'm siriusouly tired! **_

_**Thanks for all the reviews! 3 you all!**_

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**_-Rach ;)_**


	19. The Gryffindor Tower Invasion

_**Hello readers! Everyone doing alright?**_

_**I am so excited about my birthday! I don't know why, but it's really close now! It's on the 30th, and I can't can't wait! Whoop! **_

_**Thanks for all the reviews!**_

_**Oh, and I think there will be something in this chapter I think a lot of people will like ;) hehehhehe**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_

_**Max's POV**_

The party in the common room thrown by Fred, George, and Lee, was one of the wildest, longest, most fun party we've ever had in the Gryffindor tower. Before the party really started though, Fred and George disappeared for about an hour, and when they came back, with their arms full of Honeydukes sweets and Butterbeer.

"How did you get all that?" Nudge squealed, staring at the twins as they started throwing the sweets around the room. I overheard Fred whispering to Harry, "With a little help from Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs." Everyone was having fun, laughing, eating sweets and drinking Butterbeer. Nudge stayed with us for the whole party, babbling about the match, Quidditch in general, and how awful Malfoy was. We sort of blocked her out at one point.

There was only one person that wasn't enjoying the party. Hermione was sitting in the corner, looking agitated and reading a huge, complicated book. We decided to break away from the rest of the group, and went over to her.

"Did you even go to the match?" Iggy said, chugging Butterbeer.

"Of course I did," Hermione huffed, not looking up from the book. "And I'm glad we won, I think Harry and Max were amazing, but I need this read by Monday."

"Oh, come on, Hermione. Go and have food," Fang said. I looked over my shoulder, at Ron, wondering whether or not he would forgive her and get over it.

"I can't Fang! I have to get this read, and I've still got more then four hundred pages left! Besides," she added in a different voice, looking at Ron, "He wouldn't want me joining in." There was real pain in her eyes. She really hated it when her and Ron fought, and I was the only one that she ever told. It made her feel terrible, guilty and awful.

Ron, on the other hand, had the brilliant talent of saying something dumbutt stupid at the wrong time. At that moment, he called around the common room, "If only Scabbers was here. He loved Fudge Flies. Too bad he was eaten." Then he stared right at Hermione with a cold, heartless expression.

Without warning, Hermione burst into tears. She snapped her book shut and before any of us could say something, she ran up the stairs to our dormitory. I gave my best death glare to Ron, who was clearly resisting flinching (wimp) and ran after Hermione. After a few seconds, Nudge ran after me, trailing at my heels. Our dormitory door was closed, and when I knocked on it, there was no answer.

"Is this the right room?" Nudge asked from behind me. I turned and stared at her without saying anything. "I know that was a stupid question, I mean, you've been living here for three years! But I was just thinking, maybe because your so distracted with everything, you got the wrong room. Hermione wouldn't ignore us. Would she? She doesn't seem like the person to ignore other people, but maybe I just don't know her well enough. I mean, if she's friends with you, she needs to have some sort of attitude problem, right? Because Iggy was saying-"

"Nudge! I know this is my room! And Hermione won't open the door because she is currently lying on her bed sobbing," I said. Before Nudge could say anything else, which would of taken up the rest of the night, I opened the door and stepped in.

I was right. Hermione was lying on her bed, face down into her pillow, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. She didn't look up when me and Nudge walked in, but when I sat next to her on the bed, she lifted her head slightly. "What?" she said heavily. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, and her nose was runny and red, and there were tear tracks leaking down her cheeks.

"I'm not going to ask you whether or not you okay, because obviously, your not. So me and Nudge are going to sit here with you, and let you cry it all out, and eat sweets that Nudge will take from the common room in a few minutes. Alright?" I said, stroking Hermione's bushy hair. She nodded,and put her head into my shoulder and cried more. Nudge gave me a look saying `why do I need to go?' I just glared at her. She huffed, and I smiled at her, and she grinned. Nudge walked out of the room, walking and standing more confident then I've seen her before.

For the rest of the night, the three of us sat in our room, eating the sweets that Nudge had expertly stolen without anyone seeing her. Hermione had stopped crying, and seemed much happier now. Finally, around one in the morning, when McGonagall told everyone that was still partying to go to bed, we bid goodbye to Nudge, who needed to go to her own dormitory, and I went to sleep, not bothering to close the curtains around my bed, and dreamed of winning the Quidditch House Cup.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sirius' Pov<strong>_

When the cat found me, I was lying on my back in the Forbidden Forest, finishing off the last of my... well, I suppose you could call it dinner. Not much to choose from in the forest.

The ginger cat walked confidently between the trees, before stopping beside me and lying across my chest. He started purring, and I stroked him behind the ears. I have to admit, I seriously hate cats. I normally look at them as lunch. But this particular cat...He was different. He seemed to know what I was, and who I was, and why I really ended up in Azkaban.

"Hello, Ginger," I said. Come on, I don't know his real name! What else do I call him? Ginger purred louder, and moved his head. That was when I noticed he had something in his mouth. It was a small piece of parchment. I gently took it from his mouth, and sat up. The moon was half-full tonight, but it was still giving off a bright light. I held the parchment high enough so I could read it.

It was just a list of random words that didn't make sense. "What is this?" I croaked to the cat. He seemed to roll his eyes at me. I crouched down beside him again, and gave him back the parchment. He took it in his mouth and left it on the ground, but it was facing the other way.

Written in an untidy scrawl on the back, was one simply word. _Passwords. _

I stared at the cat. "Are these the passwords into Gryffindor tower?" He purred even louder.

Over the past few weeks, the cat has been coming here to me every night, bringing me all sorts of things. Food was one thing, but that wasn't much. The other things, though, were pictures. He would come down here with five pictures in his mouth, and dump them on my lap. They were all of the same six teenagers, with the exception of other people, or less.

It was the same people I had seen in the front page of the _Daily Prophet._There was Arthur and Molly's son, a sweet looking girl with bushy hair, the tall, skinny, blonde boy, the other boy that seemed to like black so much, and in most of them was a younger girl I recognized as the one that was starting Hogwarts this year, with the mocha colored skin, and more of the Weasley children.

But then there were was the last two.

Not very tall, skinny, messy black hair, and extremely bright green eyes, hidden behind round glasses, and a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Harry Potter.

Tall, skinny but strong, always looking confident and happy, with dirty blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. _My daughter. _

Yes, I, Sirius Black, living prankster legend (well, that's what I think anyway) was able to fall in love with someone, and have a child.

Every time I stare at the pictures of my daughter, and my godson, it felt like having to lose them, Lily, James, and Grace, all over again. Harry was exactly like James, except for his eyes and smile. He got them off Lily. Even in the photos, you could tell he was mostly the opposite of James. He looked confident, but not over-confident.

My daughter, on the other hand, seemed to have inherited every thing from her mother. Except for the way she held herself, and her mischievious grin.

It pained me to think of her. I always thought she was dead. And now, here she was, only a few miles away from me. My daughter that I never got to hold.

The day she was born was a hectic one. Grace was only six months pregnant when it all started happening. The whole thing frightened me to death. It was only having James and Lily there that made me feel better, but after a while, it was only me and James. Lily was heavily pregnant with Harry at the time, and seeing what Grace had to go through freaked her out, and she couldn't stay.

Finally, when our baby was born, she was tiny. I wasn't allowed to touch her, because she was so delicate,and small.

That night, she was taken, and we never saw her again.

I wiped a tear from my cheek, and looked back at the cat. It was because of him I knew that Harry and the others were in Gryffindor, because I saw them all in their uniform and in the common room.

"Ginger? Are these passwords for Gryffindor tower?" I guess it seems weird to be talking to a cat, but we've had conversations before.

Ginger purred again. I felt my hear flip, and my breath quicken. This was it. I was going to do it.

I was going to commit the crime I was punished for.

* * *

><p>Getting into the castle wasn't easy. They were on high alert ever since I escaped, and now everyone thinks I want to kill Harry. Honestly, wizards are such drama-queens.<p>

But Ginger found a way to open the doors, and it was easy from there. I shifted into my `other form', and followed Ginger through the school I knew so well. It was all quiet in the corridors. None of the portraits were talking, there weren't any ghost hovering around, and no Professors. When we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, I stalled, blinked a few times, and stared more.

It wasn't the Fat Lady. It the old nutter, Sir Cadogan. I suppose after what I did on Halloween scared her too much, and she won't take the job back. Oops. I really should apologize to her soon.

I shifted back to human, and approached Sir Cadogan, who was talking to his pony about today's Quidditch match. Apparently, Gryffindor won. I couldn't resist a happy grin.

When I got closer, Sir Cadogan turned to me, and said, "Password?"

There was a lot of passwords on this list. I started reading them all out until, finally, Sir Cadogan said, "Do come in, sir. Have a pleasant evening."

"Oh, I will," I muttered darkly as I walked into the common room that was more of a home to me then my real home. All around the common room, there was clear evidence of a wicked party. Butterbeer was spilled on the floor, there was a Gryffindor banner hanging over the stairs, and all over the whole place was covered with sweets.

I walked quickly to the stairs, heading for the staircase on the right, but without thinking much about it, I walked up the one on the left. I completely forgot what happens when a male tries getting up to the girls dormitories, so when the stairs turned into a slide, I cursed quietly, and covered my mouth with my hand so not to make to much noise.

I stood up back down in the common room, cursing the person that made that rule up, and shifted back to my other form. I went up the stairs quickly, and stopped outside the door marked, _Third Year Girls._

I shifted back once again, and opened the door quietly. Everyone was asleep in the room, with their curtains drawn around their beds, all except for one. And this was the one that mattered.

I crept quickly past all the other beds, and towards the one right beside the window. I noticed that her initials were on her trunk, that was sticking out from under her bed. _M.R. _I couldn't help but wonder what they stood for. I also noticed that there was Quidditch robes strewn on the floor beside her bed, and a Nimbus Two Thousand under her bed. I felt nothing but pride.

I stared at her face. She was exactly like Grace, down to every freckle. I knelt beside her bed, watching her sleep. I felt odd about it, watching someone sleeping without them knowing that you were there at all. It felt slightly creepy...well, really creepy.

But as I watched her, I thought of how her life was. Who took her from us, who raised her, whether or not she was happy, and what happened to make the Weasley's adopt her? I wish I could just wake her up, and ask her everything that was crossing my mind, but that wouldn't really work out. As far as she knew, I was a crazed lunatic that escaped from Azkaban just to kill one of her friends.

No, it was better if she thought I never existed. I still didn't move though.

I don't know how long I stood there, but when I finally left, it was only because _she _started stirring and moving about too much, like she was going to wake up. I stood up quietly and tip-toed out of the room, staring back over my shoulder before closing the door.

The walk to Harry's dormitory seemed longer then it should have. When I finally opened the door, it was the same as the other dormitory. Everyone fast asleep, most of the people in here snoring.

I walked past Harry's bed, not looking at him, knowing that if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop looking at him. The Weasley boy's curtains were closed, and the way he would hold the filthy rat in the pictures I saw made me believe that he left him sleep in the same bed.

I pulled a knife that I managed to steal from Hagrid's hut one afternoon when he wasn't there, out of my filthy old boots, and started cutting the curtains open. If I opened it normally, it would of been too loud and the boy would wake up. And besides, this was more fun.

The curtains fell to the floor, and I looked around. The rat wasn't there. I looked at the bed-side table, my knife still raised, but he wasn't there either. When I looked back at the Weasley boy, he was wide awake and staring at me with wide, confused and horrified eyes.

_Crap. _

"! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he yelled.

_Double crap. _

I tried giving him an apologetic look, but he was too busy screaming. The other boy's started waking up, and there was only one thing left for me to do.

I ran for it, and slammed the door shut behind me. Weasley's screams seemed to wake up everyone else in the common room, but I was already at the portrait hole when people started filing out of their rooms. As soon as I was outside Gryffindor tower, I phased, and sprinted as fast as I could back to the Forbidden Forest.

My only thought running back, was _I got to see her._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Max's POV<em>**

When Ron's screaming started penetrating our walls, we all woke up at the same time. "What's happening?" Lavender mumbled sleepily. "Maybe if you got out of bed, you'd find out," I retorted. I pulled back my sheets, pulled on a big baggy jumper that would conceal my wings, and walked towards the door. Hermione climbed out of bed too, pulling on her dressing gown.

The other two stayed in bed.

Everyone was on the staircases, talking loudly, some sounding scared, other's worried. I spotted Harry, Fang, Iggy, and Ron down beside the couch, and dragged Hermione with me as I walked past everyone towards them. Ron was holding his curtains in his hands, looking terrified. The others were looking pale and shocked. When we past the first-years, Nudge separated from her friends, and followed me and Hermione. At the end of the stairs, Ginny appeared at my shoulder.

"What happened?" I asked, standing beside Harry. "Sirius Black!" Ron yelled, shoving his curtains in my face. "What are you talking about? And get these out of my face!" I said, shoving the curtains back into his hands.

"Sirius Black! He was in our dormitory, with a knife! Woke me up!" Ron said in a high voice.

"Come on, Ron," I said. "It was probably a dream."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" he yelled. "I know what I saw! He was standing over with a knife! He slashed my curtains! Look!" He showed me the curtains again, and when he moved his hand, I could see a long, big slash running through it.

Everyone in the common room was suddenly quiet. Well, until Percy and his big head came in.

"Everyone back to bed!" he called, running down the stairs and pinning his Head-Boy badge to his pajamas. "But, Perce! Sirius Black!" Ron stuttered. He did the same thing to Percy, and when Percy saw the curtains, that was when Fred and George walked down the stairs. "Brilliant," Fred said brightly, "Are we carrying on with the party?"

Before anyone could tell him what happened, the portrait hole opened, and the members of the flock that were there jumped, and went into a fighting stance. I noticed we weren't the only ones prepared to fight. The people that had brought their wands with them were holding them out, and everyone else looked like they would fight too.

But it was only McGonagall.

"That is enough!" she shouted. "I know your all happy that we won, but it's nearly four in the morning and I expected better of all of you, particularly you, Percy." I groaned. _Well done, Professor, _I thought sarcastically, _Way to make his stupid ego go even bigger. _

"I didn't plan this Professor! And I certainly didn't give permission for it. My brother Ron had a nightmare, you see-"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron shouted, finally loosing it. "I WOKE UP AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"

McGonagall stared at him.

"But that is impossible, Weasley. How could Black ever get past the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" Ron yelled, looking like he was going to be sick. McGonagall stared at everyone, then walked towards the portrait hole and stepped outside. Everyone in the common room remained silent, listening.

"Sir Cadogan, did you let a man enter Gryffindor tower?" McGonagall asked in her famous do-not-mess-with-me-or-I'll-gut-you tone.

"Certainly did, fair lady," came Sir Cadogan's stupid voice.

"But- but- _why? _What about the _password!"_

"He had them all. Had the entire weeks, all on a piece of paper. Read them off, and I let him in."

McGonagall walked back into the portrait hole, looking as white as chalk, and as angry as an Eraser.

"What idiotic, foolish person wrote the passwords on a piece of paper, and left it lying around?" she said in a scary, shaky voice.

The silence was only broken when Neville Longbottom raised his hand, and started whimpering.

**_PLEASE READ! KINDA IMPORTANT, BUT YOU CAN IGNORE THIS IF YOU WANT!_**

_**Hey! Sorry for the long delay, but school is annoying, and I'm sick again, but here it is! The new chapter!**_

___**I hope some people are happy with the official announcement that Max is indeed Sirius' daughter! **_

__**_Something I would like to say to avert any confusion!_**

**_Max was born with wings, but the reason no one saw them was because the doctor that delivered her was a whitecoat, and did his best to hide them right after she was born. He hide them with blankets and stuff, but still never let anyone touch her in case they felt them. _**

**_On one of Grace's check-ups, the whitecoat put the avian genetics into the little embryo now known as Maximum Ride, telling Grace that he needed to fix something, but not really saying what. She never worried about it. _**

**_The night she was born, when no one was around, he went into Grace's room, where Sirius was sleeping too, and took little Max. No one heard, or saw a thing. Then she was brought to the school, and you all know the rest!_**

**_Just thought I'd tell you guys that!_**

**_Should I do a Maruader fanfic involving Grace? After these stories? Should be fun!_**

**_Anyway, thanks for all the reviews!_**

**_Free cookies and butterbeer for everyone that reviews on this one, so..._**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	20. The Return of Some Old Enemies

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

**_Hi! Here is chapter 20!_**

**_I'll talk more at the bottom :)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

No one really slept that night. All of Gryffindor house sat in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black was caught or not. Around dawn, Professor McGonagall came back to the common room to tell everyone that he had yet again escaped.

At breakfast, I noticed more people then usual were reading the _Daily Prophet_ and all of them had Black's face on them. As I stared at his face on the newspaper, I couldn't help but think that he looked strangely familiar. "Do any of you guys think that Black looks familiar?" I asked, shoving toast into my mouth. Yeah, I'm so lady like.

"Not to me, and he was my parents best friend," Harry said grimly. The other's just shook their heads. I sighed, and got on with eating my breakfast.

As we walked around the castle, there was a definite improve in security. Professor Flitwick was teaching all the doors how to recognize Sirius Black, and Filch could be seen, hobbling around the corridors, sealing up everything from a tiny mouse hole, to a crack in the wall.

The one good thing about Sirius Black nearly killing my friend, was that Sir Cadogan had finally been fired. The Fat Lady was reinstated, but only on the condition that there be two trolls guarding her every hour of the day. She had been fully restored, but she was now extremely nervous and paranoid. So now, the two trolls pace along the corridor outside Gryffidnor tower, talking gibberish, and comparing the size of their clubs.

"Guys, the one-eye witch statue is unguarded. You know, the one I used to go to Hogsmeade? Do you reckon we should tell anyone?" Harry said one afternoon in the common room. "We would of known if he'd come through Honeydukes. There wasn't anything about a break in, was there?" Iggy said. Nudge didn't say anything to him. Her and Harry had become closer ever since Nudge started talking to us more then her other friends. I don't think they like it very much.

"That's not the point, Iggy," Nudge said, "Harry could still get hurt." She had kept her word from before, and hadn't said a word to anyone about Black.

On a happier note of things, Ron was now a celebrity. Everyone wanted to know what happened with him and Black. For the first time ever, people were paying more attention to Ron then to Harry, and Ron was clearly loving the experience of it. Even though what happened that night terrified him, he was still more then happy to tell anyone that asked what happened, and in great detail too.

"I heard this ripping noise. Just thought it was in my dream or something, you know? But then I felt a draft, and I thought Neville had left the window open again, but when I woke up and turned around, there he was, standing over me, holding a great big knife. Must of been twelve inches long. He looked like a skeleton though. All baggy clothes, and long, filthy matted hair. He stared at me, and I yelled, then he ran for it."

"Why though?" Fang asked Ron after he had told this story again to a group of second-year girls. "Why did he run?"

We were all wondering the same thing. Why did he run after Ron woke up? If he had just simply gotten the wrong bed, and was intending to kill Harry, why didn't he just kill Ron, then move on to Harry? Why run away from five unarmed boys?

Neville was a total disgrace. Professor McGonagall was so mad at him, that he couldn't go to any of the other Hogsmeade weekends, got detention, and no one was allowed to tell him the password. He had to wait outside the portrait hole until someone showed up to let him in. But that wasn't the worst of it.

One morning, Neville got something that was much worse then all those things.

A Howler.

Neville went as white as paper, and Ron was the only person with good enough advise for him. "Run for it, Neville," he said. Neville nodded, grabbed the Howler, and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Fang," Nudge said, "Stygian is biting your fingers off." I looked at Fang's hand, and sure enough, his black owl Stygian was nibbling on his fingers, a letter tied to his leg. "Oh, right...Thanks, Stygian," Fang said, taking the letter from the owl. When she was free from the burden, she flew lightly over to where Neville just was and started eating his cereal.

"It's from Hagrid," Fang said. "We wants us to visit him at six o'clock this evening. We have to wait in the Entrance Hall for him."

"By us, he means...?" Iggy said, trying to take the letter from Fang. "He means, me, Harry, Max, Ron and you, nosy," Fang said, rolling his eyes. "What about Hermione?" I asked, frowning, looking down where she was sitting with Ginny. I tried sitting with her, but she insisted that I sit up here. "What about her?" Ron snapped.

"Freaking hell, Ron! Can you not let this go? Okay, fine, your rat's gone! But have you ever thought getting a new one? Or a different animal? Don't blame Hermione for something she never did, and something she couldn't stop! Stop being a jerk to her and get over it!" I snarled. Ron stared at me for a minute, before staring back down at the table. The others stared at me with wide eyes. I've never shouted at any of my friends like that before...well except for when Iggy and Gazzy would blow things up, but that's different.

"I'm going for a walk," I grumbled. And of course, by walk, I meant fly. I got off my seat and walked out of the Great Hall, not looking back at anyone.

The front doors were left open, and I walked out into the grounds towards the Forest. Hagrid didn't like the idea of us flying in here, but after seeing what we could do, he allowed it. Still wasn't happy, but there you have it.

I walked pretty far into the forest, looking for a big enough clearing. As I was walking, I was turning my head this way and that, looking for a clearing, not looking in front of me at all. I walked into something and I ended us flat on my butt on the forest ground. Assuming it was just a centaur or something, I snapped, "Watch where your going, dumbass!"

Isn't it funny how all the bad things seem to happen to you when your on your own? No? Maybe it's just me.

It wasn't a centaur I walked into. It was something much, much worse then that. Something I haven't seem since I was ten years old. Something I never wanted to see ever again.

_Erasers. _

* * *

><p><strong><em>Calm down, Max. <em>**The Voice was telling me. **_You can fight them. _**

_Shut up! _I yelled in my mind. I stared at the Eraser I had walked into. He was huge, covered in fur, standing on his hind legs, and there was saliva dripping from his deathly fangs. And, of course, this Eraser wasn't alone.

There were about fifteen of them, all around the Forest. There wasn't a chance in hell I would be able to fight all these Erasers on my own, and the others would never be able to hear me. I guess there was only thing to do.

I stood up slowly, keeping eye contact with the nearest Eraser. He smiled at me, a predator's smile of all teeth. "Hello, birdie," he said, barking a loud laugh. The others laughed along with him. "Long time no see," I said, as I started walking around the clearing. "Boy, your even more ugly then I remember. Jeez." They all just laughed again. "And your even more beautiful now, darling," the leader Eraser said.

"Oh, look I'm blushing," I said, deadpan. And that's when I acted.

I lunged forward, gave the Eraser a roundhouse kick to the shoulder, and he staggered back. The other's started forming around me, and I kicked and punched, and jabbed everywhere I could. One of the Eraser's managed to sneak up behind me, and grab my hands. He pulled them behind my back hard, and said, "Don't be so rude, my lovely. Just come with us, and no one's going to get hurt." My eyes were watering now, either from the strain that was being put on my arms, or the smell of the Erasers breath.

"Go to hell," I whispered, and I twisted around quickly, and jabbed the back of the Eraser's neck. He was out cold before he hit the ground.

Another Eraser ran to me, and I stayed perfectly still. When he was close enough to me that I could see food stuck in his fangs, I quickly moved to the right. The Eraser ran head first into the tree behind me, and collapsed into a moaning heap on the floor.

"This isn't over," Head Eraser said, and him and his last remaining Erasers ran away further into the forest. I itched to follow them, but I knew I couldn't. The other's were probably looking for me.

I gave one last glance at the Eraser's on the ground, smirked, and started sprinting back to the castle.

It took me five minutes to reach the edge of the Forbidden Forest. I looked down at myself. My skirt and robes were covered in mud and dirt, and I could see branches and leaves at the end of my hair. I quickly pulled them out, and brushed the worst of the dirt off my clothes, and proceeded to walk through the grounds toward the castle, wondering what I was going to tell the flock. I definitely needed to write to Angel, Gazzy and Mr and Mrs Weasley, tell them what happened. Of course, I would only tell them that I saw the Erasers, not that they attacked me. No need to worry anyone.

As I was walking past the lake, pulling branches from my hair, I walked straight into somebody else, and ended up my butt again. "For Pete's sake, not again!" I cried, looking up at who, or what, I walked into, hoping not to see another Eraser. But it wasn't. It was Ethan, and he was staring at me like he's never seen me before.

"Oh, hey Ethan," I said, smiling. He reached out his hand to help me up, which I gratefully took. Fighting in a skirt was pretty exhausting.

"Hi, Max," Ethan said, grinning. "Sorry about that, it was my fault."

"No it was mine. I should of looked where I was going," I said. Ethan's sparkly eyes went up to look at my hair, and he raised his eyebrows. "Why are you covered in mud, and leaves?" he asked, and he reached out to pull a few leaves that I missed from my hair. "Em..." I said, trying to think of something to say. "I was walking in the Forest, and I feel," I lied smoothly. I really hoped I didn't look spooked out, or angry or anything, because he would just get more suspicious.

"Only you would do that, Max," Ethan laughed. We started walking together, towards the lake.

"We haven't talked much this year," Ethan said, sitting down on the edge of the lake, watching the giant squad splash around in the water.

"I know. Sorry about that. So, how was your summer?" I asked, sitting beside him. "It was strange. You know, without Lucy. Christmas was hard as well. But were getting through it alright, I suppose," Ethan said. Last year, his little sister Lucy got really sick, and died. Ethan was really messed up about it, but I was glad that him and his parents were dong alright.

"That's good," I said.

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Ethan asked, "Your friends with Professor Hagrid, right?"

I nodded, and said, "Just call him Hagrid. He doesn't care about the Professor thing."

"Right. Do you know what's going to happen to his Hippogriff? You know, the one that slashed Malfoy's arm?"

I shrugged. "No. He's going for a trial soon, that's all I know. Were going down to Hagrid's later, I can find out more. Why do you want to know?"

"Because nothing should happen to him. Malfoy faked the injury, and I heard that he insulted Buckbeak. If he was smart, he would of listened," Ethan said, a look of hatred crossing his cute face- what, I never said that. Never said that. _Never!- _that I've never seen there before.

"Don't worry. We'll make sure Buckbeak is okay," I said, only hoping what I said was true.

* * *

><p>Me and Ethan stayed together for hours, talking about nothing important at all. Just...talking. I felt nice to be able to have a stress free conversation, not involving Sirius Black, or homework, or friends fighting, or Buckbeak or exams, or Malfoy, or Sirius Black. Yeah, we talk about him a lot.<p>

When it was half five, I said, "I have to go. Sorry." Ethan stood up and said, "I'll walk to the castle with you."

We walked to the castle, and when we reached the Entrance Hall, we said goodbye to each other, and Ethan climbed the stairs, and I waited in the Entrance Hall for Hagrid, and the others. I was sitting on my own for about half an hour before the boy's walked down the stairs.

"Where were you all day?" Iggy asked. "Went for a walk," I said. "There's something I need to tell you guys-" I started, getting ready to tell them about the Erasers, but the front doors opened, and Hagrid walked in.

I turned back to Fang and Iggy and muttered, "I'll tell you later." They looked confused, but nodded.

"Alright, Hagrid," Ron said, walking towards him, "I guess you want to hear all about Saturday night!"

"No need, Ron. Already hear' all abou' it," Hagrid said, leading us out of the school and towards his hut. "Oh, right," Ron said, looking disappointed.

As we came closer to the Forest, I stared into the trees, wondering if they were still there, or if they actually left the grounds.

The fist thing we all noticed when we entered Hagrid's hut was Buckbeak, who was stretched out on Hagrid's bed, his enormous, beautiful wings folded in tight to his body, eating dead ferrets. Right next to Hagrid's bed, though, hanging from his wardrobe, was the most hideous, huge and hairy brown suit and a horrible yellow and orange tie.

"What's that for, Hagrid?" I asked, trying to keep the disgust from my voice.

"Buckbeak's hearing against the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures is on Friday," Hagrid said. "Him an' me'll be travelin' inter London together. Booked two beds on the Knight Bus..."

Some nights, Hermione and I would visit Hagrid and help him with the trail, but I didn't go down as much as Hermione, with all the homework I had to do, and Quidditch, I didn't have as much time. Hermione had more work then me, though, so I have no idea how she was doing it all.

It was obvious from the looks on the boy's faces that they had completely forgotten about the trail. Harry looked really guilty, more so then the others.

Hagrid told us to sit down, and he made everyone tea. When Hagrid sat down, and we started sipping our boiling tea, Hagrid said, "I've got somethin' ter talk ter you about," he said seriously.

"What about?" Fang said, looking at the Bath buns Hagrid had set in front of us as if they were going to jump up and bit him in the face. Knowing Hagrid's cooking, it probably could.

"Hermione," Hagrid said simply.

"What about her?" Ron said sharply. I glared at him, remembering this morning.

"She's in a righ' state, Hermione is. She's bin visiting me a lot since Chris'mas. Bin feelin' lonely, even wit' Max still talkin' ter her. Firs' yeh weren't talkin' ter her because o' the Firebolt, now yer not talkin' ter her because o' her cat-"

"That cat ate Scabbers!" Ron said.

"An' that's how cat's act, Ron," Hagrid said wisely. "She cried a few times, yeh know. Poor girls goin' through a hard time. Bitin' off more then she should, if yeh ask me. Not sayin' notin' ter you, Max. I know yeh stuck by her," he said, and turned to look at the boys. "I jus' thought yeh valued yer friends more then broomsticks or rats, that's all."

Harry, Ron, Fang and Iggy exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"Really upset, she was, when Black nearly stabbed you Ron. She's got her heart in the place, our Hermione has, an' you four not talking ter her-"

"I'd talk to her if she got rid of that bloody cat!" Ron snapped. "She's acting like he's done nothing wrong, but that cat is a maniac!"

"People can get a bit stupid abou' their pets," Hagrid said, staring at Buckbeak who was still on his bed, eating dead ferrets.

The rest of the visit was just us talking about Gyffindor's chances of winning the House Cup, and Hagrid walked us back to the castle. As we walked, I could of sworn I heard a howl from the Forbidden Forest.

As we walked into the common room, everyone was crowded around the notice board in the corner. Fang, being one of the tallest, stood on his tip-toes to see over everyone's heads.

"Hogsmeade trip, next weekend," he said, turning back to us.

"What d'you reckon?" Iggy said, looking at Harry.

Harry bit his lip, and frowned. "Well...Filch doesn't know about the passageway going into Honeydukes..." he said, sitting down on the couch in front of the fire.

"Harry!" said a voice beside us. It was Hermione, almost hidden with all the books around her, and looking anxious.

"Harry, if you go into Hogsmeade again, I'll...tell Professor McGonagall about the Maruader's Map!" Hermione said.

"Do you hear anything?" Ron growled, looking anywhere but at Hermione. "Ron-" I started in a deadly voice, but Hermione interrupted me. "Ron, how could you say something like that? After what Black nearly did to you? I mean it, I'll tell-"

"So now your trying to get Harry expelled?" Ron said meanly. "Haven't you caused enough trouble this year?"

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but Crookshanks leaped onto her lap with a soft hiss. Hermione took one frightened look at Ron, picked up Crookshanks, and headed for the girls dormitory. She turned back to me, and said "Don't follow me," then climbed the stairs. I stared after her, and glared at Ron, who ignored me.

"So how about it?" Ron said to Harry, as if nothing had just happened. "Come on, Harry, last time you went, you didn't see anything! You weren't even in Zonkos!"

"This isn't your decision to make," I growled, "It's Harry's. And what about what Hagrid said? About how Hermione's been feeling? It's not her fault, Ron!"

"As long as she sticks by that evil cat, I'm not forgiving her!" Ron snapped.

"It's just a cat! Cats chase mice and rats! Or are you too thick to know that?" I barked. Ron went bright red, and looked down at the floor. "Why is there mud and cuts on your knees?" he asked, looking back at me. I glared at him, and said, "Well, after shouting at you at breakfast, I went to the Forbidden Forest to go flying. But I kinda dumped into someone, or somethings, that tried to attack me."

"What was it?" Iggy asked.

I looked at him and Fang, anger still coursing through me, and one simple word that pretty much changed everything.

"Erasers."

_**Hello!**_

___**This story will have a lot more chapters then usual, because I have something interesting planned for the end of the story. **_

___**I will do a Grace fanfic, but after these series. :) **_

___**Thanks for all the reviews!**_

**_Free Cookies and Butterbeer for everyone that reviews soo..._**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	21. Back to Hogsmeade

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_Hi everyone! :)_**

**_Has anyone heard the song, This is War by 30 seconds to Mars? It really makes you think on Harry Potter!_**

**_Quick question: anyone with any knowledge about a Maximum Ride movie?_**

**_People are asking me to give the Flock the make-overs from New York, and I will do them, but it will be around the end. Just thought I'd tell you guys :)_**

**_Can we get 200 reviews by my birthday? Or by February?_**

**_Anyway, here's the newest chapter!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

_Previously..._

_ "Well, after shouting at you at breakfast, I went to the Forbidden Forest to go flying. But I kinda dumped into someone, or somethings, that tried to attack me."_

_"What was it?" Iggy asked._

_I looked at him and Fang, anger still coursing through me, and one simple word that pretty much changed everything._

_"Erasers."_

* * *

><p>Fang and Iggy paled, and Harry and Ron's jaw's dropped. "E-Erasers?" Iggy stammered. I nodded, trying to keep my face from showing how freaked out I was.<p>

"I thought they didn't know where we were," Fang said, looking as calm as ever, but you could see in the way that his eyes widened slightly that he was scared. "I thought so too. But, after Jeb died, Dumbledore gave me a letter he wrote for me. Jeb said that the Erasers and whitecoats were still looking for us," I said.

"There isn't anything you can do, really," Harry said. "Unless you go running into the Forest after them, I think your safe inside Hogwarts."

I nodded. "Your right," I said, and turned to Fang and Iggy, and turned from best-friend Max, to serious leader Max in two seconds flat. "You are not to leave the castle. Unless it's for class. And I don't we should tell Nudge, it would just freak her out too much and I don't want that to happen."

"What about going to Hosgmeade?" Iggy whined. I thought about it. I guess we could...

"I don't know..." I said. "There were a lot of Erasers there earlier..."

"We'll be in Hogsmeade, Max," Iggy said. "Erasers are stupid, but not stupid enough to attack us in a public place!"

"And besides, you'll have your wands with you. And I'm sure you guys can kick-butt," Ron said. I huffed, glared at Ron. "I know we can kick-butt, Ron. I know we'll have our wands," I said. I looked at Fang and Iggy. "Fine," I said. "We'll go to Hogsmeade."

Iggy and Fang smiled, looking slightly more happy then before. "But," I said, putting as much authority as I could into my voice, "You are to be ready for anything at a moments notice, and have your wands ready. Agreed?" They both nodded. "Good," I said, satisfied.

"So were all going into Hogsmeade?" Ron said, looking directly at Harry.

"Fine," Harry said, "But I'm taken the Invisibility Cloak this time."

I wasn't happy about keeping this from Hermione, but when I tried, Ron or Iggy would interrupt me. If I tried when we were in our dormitory, about to go to sleep, Hermione would ignore me, and just keep reading.

On Saturday morning, we all went down to breakfast, me knowing too well that Harry had his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map in his pocked. Hermione was ignoring me, probably thinking that I was starting to go against her too. I wasn't, I just wished she could see that.

During breakfast, Hermione kept shooting us suspicious glances. I tried telling her with my eyes, but she completely refused to look at me. When we were finished, I noticed Harry looking at her closely before climbing the stairs. Probably wanted her to see him going upstairs.

"Bye!" Harry called to us, a cheeky smile on his face, "See you when you get back!"

Oh, he was too good.

I caught Ron and Iggy winking at Harry, and Fang rolling his eyes. I gave Harry a dirty look that he didn't see.

Hermione was already out past the gate. The four of us walked out ourselves, and after a few minutes, we were walking up the High Street of Hogsmeade. "How long do you think Harry will be?" Fang asked, looking around Hogsmeade. "Ten, fifteen minutes?" Ron guessed.

Well, turns out that Ron was very wrong. We were wandering around Honeydukes for nearly an hour before we decided to go outside and see whether Harry was there or not. We were barely out of the shop before someone prodded me in the back and whispered in my ear, "It's me."

"Jeez, you took your time," I whispered to Harry. "What took you so long?" Iggy whispered, who was listening closely.

"Snape was hanging around the statue, and Neville wanted me to help him with homework. Sorry," Harry said. It was really weird, talking to someone who wasn't even there.

We walked further up the street, every few minutes asking Harry, "Where are you?" He was still beside us, but it didn't seem like it. We went to the post office to give Harry a good look around, then moved to Zonko's. It was so packed with Hogwarts students that I could hardly imagine how hard it was for Harry to move around the room without bumping into people.

Harry gave us whispered orders and handed us money from under his cloak to buy all his things, while I was scanning the room anxiously, watching for anyone that looked a little more hairy then usual. Even when Erasers were in their human form, you could still tell they were Erasers. No normal person had that hunger, or bloodlust look in their eyes.

We left Zonko's with a considerably lighter money bag, but our pockets were full of things from the joke shop. I was relieved to be out of the small, packed shop and out into the brisk, open air. No one seemed to try to kill me, or Fang and Iggy or the others, so I took that as a good sign...I still didn't relax completely though.

"Let's go to the Shrieking Shack," I said, liking the thought of being somewhere no one else would want to be.

We walked straight past the Three Broomsticks, trying to ignore the strong, sweet smell from the Butterbeer, that we could smell from out here, and up the slop towards the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted building in Britain. It stood tall and crooked over the rest of the village, and even in the bright, sunny day, it looked really creepy. All the windows were boarded up, and the garden outside was overgrown so much, Hagrid could be standing in the grass and we wouldn't see him.

"The Hogwarts ghost avoid this place," Ron said, slowly approaching the fence. "Well, except for Peeves. He tries to get in, but the Bloody Baron always stops him. I asked Nearly Headless Nick before...Told me that a really rough crowed used to live here. No one ever tries getting in there. Well, except fro Fred and George obviously, but all the entrances are sealed shut, so they couldn't get in."

I looked at space where I thought Harry was, and could of sworn I saw his hand move from under the cloak, but it retreated back quickly. A few seconds later, why he did that became clear.

There were voices behind us, and the loudest of them all was so obvious.

Only a few seconds later, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle appeared at the hill on the hill on the other side of the abandoned house, speaking to each other.

Malfoy was saying, "I should be expecting a letter from father soon. He had to go to the hearing about my arm, and tell them how I couldn't use it for months..." Crabbe and Goyle snickered. Malfoy caught sight of us, and grinned dangerously.

"What are you all doing here? Shopping for a new dream home?" he said, laughing. "I heard everyone in your house sleeps in one room. Is that true?"

I was about to lunge forward, and was happy to know that Ron was too, but I felt someone grabbing my robe and pulling me back. It was Harry. He had grabbed Ron as well, and Fang and Iggy looked barely contained. Barely.

"Leave him to me," Harry whispered in our ears. I resisted a smirk, wondering what he was going to do.

I felt stupid and vulnerable when we waited for what Harry was going to do. Malfoy looked at me and called, "What's the matter, Ride? Finally realized that your a girl?" I was just about to give a very insulting, sarcastic remark, when a lump of mud came flying out of no where, and hit Malfoy right in the head. His perfect, glossy silvery blonde hair was now dripping with mud.

"What the-" he said, whirling around frantically.

I had to hold onto the fence in front of me to keep myself from falling on the ground, I was laughing that hard. The others were doing the same. Iggy was rolling around on the floor, holding his stomach, and Fang's shoulders were shaking slightly. That was Fang's version of what Iggy was doing.

Crabbe and Goyle were spinning around stupidly on the spot, trying to see what happened, while Malfoy was wiping all the mud from his eyes and hair. "What was that? Who did it?"

"Very haunted up here, isn't it?" Fang said, smirking. As we were all laughing, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle all got splattered in another substance. This time, it was a yellow and green, foul smelling sludge. It managed to get all three of them in the face. "It came from over there!" Malfoy yelled. Crabbe stretched out his arms blindly and stumbled forward, reminding me of a zombie from a movie the flock watched before when Jeb wasn't there. Lets just say he wasn't happy when Angel was getting scared all the time when it was dark, and when Iggy and Gazzy made loud moaning noises.

I watched as a stick flew up fast in the air, and hitting Crabbe in the back. This just made me laugh more, and I was starting to find it hard to breath. This was too freaking hilarious.

Crabbe started for us, probably only because we were the only ones he could see, but he suddenly fell flat on his face. By this time, me, Ron, Iggy and even Fang, were howling with laughter.

But then something bad happened.

Crabbe's foot seemed to have gotten caught on the ends of the Invisibility Cloak, and it started sliding down Harry's body. He grabbed it, but not before it had fully revealed his face. Harry's expression was unreadable, but it was obvious that he was surprised. Malfoy looked like he was going to wet himself, and I really wished I could of taken a picture of his expression. Anyone else thinking blackmail?

But, sadly, I have nothing to take the picture with. Maybe I'll find a way to blackmail him another way...

"AAARRRGGHHH!" Malfoy yelled, pointing at Harry's head, and he started running backwards, stumbling and falling, and before long, him, Crabbe and Goyle were gone rom sight.

"Harry," I said, running over to him. "You've got to run! If Malfoy tells anyone you were here... Just leave!" I said, and pushed him down the path. He nodded, looking anxious, and pulled the Cloak back over his head. He disappeared from sight.

I looked behind me, and rolled my eyes, grinning, when I saw that Iggy was still rolling on the floor, laughing like the incredible loon he is. He stood up, wiped the tears from his eyes, and said, "Where'd they go?"

In rolled my eyes, grabbed Iggy's sleeve, and said, "No time for that. Come on!" And started sprinting. I had just remembered all the stuff we bought today and all the things Harry has in his pockets. Malfoy would most likely go to Snape with his story. If Snape does believe that Harry was in Hogmeade, he would most certainly make Harry empty his pockets. And it would just get much more worse from there.

The four of us sprinted back to Hogwarts, not stopping for a break once. Ron started lagging behind before we reached the gates, but that didn't matter. He still kept good pace with us, even though his breath was ragged, and his face was as red a tomato. We ran up the through the lawn, and threw the front doors open. We never stopped, just kept sprinting and ran down towards Snape's office in the dungeons.

Before we reached the door, I stopped and looked at the others. Ron's face was slowly turning purple, but Fang and Iggy looked like they never broke a sweat. "If Harry is with Snape, which is very likely, Snape would of made Harry take everything from his pockets. That means everything he bought today, the Map, and possibly the Cloak if Harry didn't dump it somewhere. Harry would probably tell Snape that we bought them for him, so that's what we say when we run in. Harry would already be here. He probably got here ages ago", I said in a hushed voice. They nodded.

We jogged the last few minutes to Snape's office. I stopped outside the door, did the flock's signal for wait- holding two fingers behind your back- and pressed my ear to the cold wood of the door, and listened.

Surprisingly, it was Lupin that I heard. He was saying, "- Mr Wormtail or one of these people? Harry, do you know any of these men?"

"No," came Harry's clear, confident voice.

"You see Severus," Lupin said, "It seems like a Zonko product to me. Something that's designed to insult anyone who tries to read it."

I looked behind me at the boy's, nodded, and threw the door open. The three people in the room turned to us quickly, looking confused, but I ignored it and looked straight at Snape.

"We bought Harry all that stuff last time we were in Hogsmeade," I said confidently.

"Well there you have it, Severus! No dark magic going on here. Do you mind if I have that?" he asked, looking at something in Snape's hands. It was the Maruder's Map. Snape handed it over with a sour expression. "Harry, Ron, Max, Fang and Iggy- I need to talk to all about the vampire essay. Please come with me. Excuse us Severus," Lupin said, smiling, and he walked calmly from the room.

I had to drag Ron with us, because he was leaning against the door frame, gasping for breath and clutching a stitch in his side.

We left Snape's office, and Iggy was snickering about the look on Snape's face when Lupin left. I had to admit, it was priceless.

We walked along the corridor in silence, before Harry rounded on Professor Lupin. "Professor, I-"

"Harry, I don't want any explanations. I haven't the faintest idea how you came across this map," he lowered his voice, looked around the corridor, and said, "I happen to know that it was confiscated by Filch many years ago. And yes, I know it's a map," he added at the look on our faces. "I am astounded that you didn't turn this in, Harry. Especially after what happened last time one of the students left valuable information lying around the castle. So that is why I can't let you have it back."

Harry looked disappointed, but also like he had been expecting it. "Why did Snape say, "You don't think it more likely he got it straight from the manufacturers?'"

Lupin sighed heavily and said, "Because..." he paused, sighed again, and said, "The people that made this map - Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs- would think it highly amusing to lead you from the school. They would find it amusing."

"You've met them?" Fang asked, looking impressed. He had to be, asking a question that wasn't really of any importance.

"We've met," Lupin said, his eyes flickering between me and Harry.

"Don't expect me to cover for you again, Harry. I can't force you to take Sirius Black seriously, but I thought that what you hear every time a Dementor comes near you would be enough not to risk your life for something stupid," Lupin said.

_Oh, _I thought to myself, _Low blow._

"Your parents sacrificed their lives for yours, and wandering around while there's a killer after you seems like a very poor way to pay them," he went on. After another piercing look, he walked away, holding the map in his hands.

Harry was looking very sad and guilty right now. Slowly, the five of us climbed the staircase, heading for Gryffindor tower.

"I'm sorry, mate," Ron said, finally managing to speak properly, as we climbed the stairs to the seventh floor, "It's my fault. I talked you into going. Lupin's right, it was really stupid and we shouldn't-" he broke off as we came onto the corridor with the Fat Lady. Walking towards us, looking like she was forcing herself not to cry, was Hermione.

Ron, being the useful idiot he is, never even noticed that she was upset. "Come to gloat, have you? Or were you just with McGonagall, telling on us?"

I whacked him over the head.

"No," Hermione said, stopping in front of us and not making eye contact. "Just thought I should tell you. Hagrid lost the case. There going to kill Buckbeak."

_**Hello! Sorry it took so long! I've been busy with stuff :p**_

_**So last night, we went for my birthday dinner, even though my birthday isn't till tomorrow, but my sister won't be here tomorrow, so we did everything last night. When we came home, I got my presents, and they included...**_

_**HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 ON DVD! IM SOOOOO HAPPY NOW! but I haven't gotten a chance to watch it yet... :/ **_

_**Thanks for all the birthday wishes, I can't wait till tomorrow! **_

_**Oh, and I want to dedicate this chapter to Mrs Odair, who reviews loads on the last chapter, trying to get people to review so I'd have 200 :) thank you! **_

_**And thanks to Annie Bell for reminding Ukko about Max seeing Sirius and Grace in the mirror :D**_

_**And thanks to everyone else that reviewed! **_

_**If you have any questions about the story, review or send me a PM :P**_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**(hehe I'll be 14 tomorrow! ahhhh! so excited! o.O)**_

_**-Rach ;)**_


	22. Lions Vs Snakes

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Thank you so much to everyone that wished me a good birthday! I had a really nice day :)**_

_**I would like to dedicate this chapter to jdr ride, who was the 200th person to review!**_

_**Yes, we reached 200 reviews before my birthday! I actually love you all so much! Free cookies and birthday cake to everyone!**_

_**To TopHatMadHatter (you weren't logged in, this is the name you used) my favorite Maximum Ride characters are Max and Fang... well, pretty much the whole flock! **__**My favorite Harry Potter characters are the Golden Trio, Ginny, and Sirius, and loads more! And yes, I will be doing all the Harry Potter and Maximum Ride fanfics. Thanks for the review!**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews! **_

_**Enjoy!**_

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

"Hagrid's after sending me this," Hermione said, her lip trembling and her eyes watering. I took the piece of parchment she was handing me, and read it aloud, doing my best to keep my voice from trembling. Not Buckbeak...Buckbeak...

_"Dear Hermione, _

_We lost. I'm allowed to to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky really enjoyed London. I won't forget all the help you gave us. _

_Hagrid."_

Guilt riddled at my insides. I really should of helped more... But at least I helped more then the boys.

"They can't do that," Fang said, outraged, "Buckbeak isn't even dangerous!"

"I'm betting Malfoy's dad frightened the hell out of the Committee into executing Buckbeak," Iggy said, his face contorted with rage.

"Of course," Hermione said. "You know what there like. The whole lot of them are old fools. Scared out of their minds. We still have a chance though," she said, looking at us all except Ron. She seemed too scared too. "What is it?" Harry asked. "There will be an appeal," Hermione said. "There's always an appeal. I can't see much hope though. I doubt anything will be changed..."

"Of course it will," Ron said fiercely. "Your not doing any of the other work alone, Hermione. I'll help." Well, that was really unexpected.

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione squealed, and ran forwards and threw her arms around her neck, and started sobbing uncontrollably. Ron, looking shocked and awkward, started patting her back. After a few minutes of Hermione sobbing, and the rest of us looking at each other awkwardly, wondering whether or not we should so something. Finally, Hermione drew back, rubbing her eyes.

"Ron," she hiccoughed, "I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers-"

Ron shrugged, giving Hermione a comforting smile. "He was old anyway," he said, patting Hermione's arm, and looking relieved that she wasn't sobbing on him anymore. . "And very useless. Maybe Mum and Dad will get me an owl now," he said, looking hopeful.

I threw my arms in the air, and growled, "He couldn't of thought of that weeks ago! He just hated her for weeks and it's only now he realizes that Scabbers was old!" Fang, Iggy and Harry looked at me with amused faces.

With all the new safety measures imposed on the school, it was impossible to go and visit Hagrid, since Harry had left the Invisibility Cloak in the statue of the one-eyed witch. Our only real chance to talk to him was during Care of Magical Creatures class. I felt very vulnerable and threatened by the fact that we were so close to the forest, where only a while ago, I had been attacked by the Erasers. I really didn't want them bursting into our Care of Magical Creatures class, and attempting to kill my classmates. Well, the Slytherins I wouldn't mind...

Hagrid seemed numb with the shock of what happened.

"My fault," he mumbled, when we spoke to him about it. "Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there, in their black cloaks, an' I was always droppin' my notes, an' forgetting everything you looked up fer me Hermione. An' then Lucious Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, an' the Committee just did ever'thing he said..." Hagrid looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"But there's still the appeal, Hagrid!" Iggy said, looking desperate. "Please don't give up! Were working really hard on it."

We were walking back to the castle, the six of us deep in thought of how to help Hagrid. Behind us, back at his cabin, he had started to sob hysterically into his handkerchief. Ahead of us, we saw Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle staring back at him, and us, laughing so hard that tears were streaming down their faces. Wow, I never knew Crabbe and Goyle were able to understand what was happening. Well, maybe they didn't.

"Look at him blubber!" Malfoy howled, pointing at Hagrid and slapping his knees as he laughed. I thought they only did that in movies. Well, Malfoy is special.

"Have you ever seen anything as pathetic?" Malfoy went on, and my face heated up with anger. Me and the boys all lunged toward Malfoy, ready for murder, but something got there before us. Something with brown bushy hair, and a massive school bag...

Hermione ran straight towards Malfoy, and SMACK!

She punched Malfoy right in the face with as much strength as she could. Malfoy went staggering backwards, and the rest of us stared at Hermione in confusion, and admiration. Hermione raised her hand towards Malfoy again, and she cried, "Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foal, evil, slimy, little-"

"Hermione!" Fang said, grabbing Hermione's bag as she attempted to lunge on Malfoy again. "Get off me!" she screeched, and pulled her wand from her robes, and pointed it directly in between Malfoy's eyes. Crabbe and Goyle looked flabbergasted, and stared at Malfoy, waiting for instructions.

"C'mon," Malfoy says, not looking at any of us, as he ran back into the school, heading back to the dungeons.

"Hermione, I have honestly never been more proud of you! Your insults need work, but that punch was almost professional!" I say, and pulled her into a hug. I'm not a huggy person. The only people I would hug without protest is the flock, and Hermione. Maybe Ron and Harry. But the others are more important, and give better hugs.

Hermione grinned, looking sheepish, but turned back to look at me and Harry with a fire in her eyes I've never seen. "Harry, Max, you better beat them at the Quidditch finals!" she growled shrilly. "I'd hate to see them win!"

"I couldn't agree more," The five of us said at the exact same time.

"We should be in Charms," Ron said, goggling at Hermione. "We better leave."

We hurried up to Professor Flitwick's classroom, running hard. Flictwick is a great teacher, and rarely gets angry, but he hates when people are late. We burst into the Charms class.

"Your late," Flitwich says disapprovingly. "Take a seat, and take your wands out. Today, we will be working on Cheering Charms. The class has already divided into pairs-"

Harry and Ron rushed to a desk, and immediately started opening their bags. Me, Fang and Iggy walk calmly to the table beside them, and just took out our wands and relaxed against the desk, waiting for further instructions. Ron turned back to us, and whispered, "Where's Hermione gone?" I looked around the room, thinking she sat somewhere else, or got delayed at the door. But she was no where to be seen.

I shrugged, and said, "Maybe she had to go to the bathroom?" I hoped my worry wasn't showing. Leave it to Malfoy to do something to Hermione after she punched him, and humiliating him. If he ever did something to her...Let's just say I really hope he never planned to have children.

My worry only increased when Hermione didn't show up all lesson.

After the class, everyone was in much higher spirits. Even I couldn't have any bad, worried feeling as we left the Charms corridor, heading towards the Great Hall for lunch. Hermione wasn't there either, and the thought made all the happy feelings I had from Charms class disappear. Finally, as we were walking down the corridor to Gryffindor Tower, Harry voiced what I had already been thinking. "You don't think Malfoy did something to her?"

"If he has," Iggy growled, "He better learn how to run fast."

We past the guarding trolls, and gave the password to the Fat Lady (Fibbertigibbet) and climbed through the portrait hole into the common room. When I looked around the room, I was so relieved to see Hermione was there, fast asleep at a table in the corner, covered in books. We walked over to her, dodging all the bodies around us, and sat beside her. I pocked her head repeatedly until she woke up.

"Wh- What?" she said, waking with a start and jumping. "What class have we got now? Is it time to leave?"

"Divination," I said, rolling my eyes. "But that's not for about another twenty minutes. Why weren't you in Charms? We were worr-"

"I missed Charms!" Hermione squealed, making everyone in the room stare at her. "I can't believe I forgot to go to Charms!"

"How could you forget?" Iggy asked. "You were right behind us outside the Charms classroom!" he said. Hermione completely changed the subject. "I can't believe I forgot about Charms! Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it's all Malfoy's fault! I was so busy thinking about him that I completely lost track of everything!"

Ron looked at her, slightly concerned, and said "You know what Hermione? I reckon all this work is going to your head. Making you crack up." Iggy held up the enormous Arithmancy book that Hermione had been using as a pillow and said, "Really cracking up. Like, your going insane here, Hermione!" Hermione huffed, pushed the hair out of her eyes, and said, "I am not! I just made one mistake! People can make mistakes, right? I need to see Professor Flitwick, tell him I'm sorry... I'll see you in Divination!"

She threw her huge bag onto her back, and raced out of the common room.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione joined us at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom, looking really irritated and harassed.

"I still can't believe I missed Cheering Charms. I just know that they'll be in the exams. Flitwick hinted they would."

I grinned at her, rolled my eyes, and together we climbed the ladder into the extremely hot and stuffy class. Glowing on every table was a tiny, little glowing crystal ball full of pearly mist. Me, Harry and Hermione sat at one table, while Ron, Iggy and Fang sat at the table right beside us. "Didn't she say we were starting crystal balls until next term," Iggy muttered, giving the crystal ball on his table a hesitant poke, as if it would jump up and bite him.

"Just be glad were not doing palmistry," I said. "It was really starting to get annoying when she'd flinch every time she looked at me, or Harry."

Iggy was about to respond with some weird joke, when the same, misty voice came from the shadows. "Good afternoon, children," Trelawney said, standing beside the fire so the flames gave her face a strange glow. I looked over at Pavarti and Lavender, who were sitting in front of us, and resisted the urge to laugh when I saw them both quiver with excitement, and looking at each other as though it was the best thing in the world.

"I have decided," Trelawney went on, "To start crystal gazing a little early this year. The fates have informed me that your exam in June will involve Orb, and I more then anxious to get you all started, and give you sufficient practice."

Hermione snorted beside me, while I covered my mouth with my sleeve, stopping myself from giggling. "Honestly, `the fates have informed her'. Who makes the exam? She does! Some prediction she made!" Hermione said, not bothering to keep her voice down. The five of us choke back our laughs. It was quite hard to tell whether or not Trelawney heard us, because her face was still hidden in the shadows. She acted as if she didn't hear, though.

Trelawney went on for a while about how much of an art crystal gazing is, and what we were meant to be doing. I wasn't listening.

At that moment, the Voice decided to pop up again.

**_She might seem fake. Like a fraud. But never judge a book by it's cover. I think you of all people should know that. _**

Was the Voice saying that Trelawney was a real Seer? It couldn't be possible. She just seemed so... fake.

_What would you know about it? _I ask. _**Maximum, I'm a Voice in your head giving you advice in terrible times. And you question how I know about some things?**_ I rolled my eyes. _Your so annoying! _I snap. _**I'm just trying to help, Maximum. Maybe you should start listening to what I'm really saying. **_

_How can I ignore you when you don't shut up? _I shouted in my mind. I could of sworn I heard the voice sigh, but it didn't say anything else after that. When I started focusing on what was happening around me, I saw that everyone in the classroom were staring blankly into their crystal balls. Harry told me that whenever I was talking to the Voice, I got a blank, distant look on my face. Perfect for this occasion.

I stared into the crystal ball, feeling really stupid. Every now and then, Ron and Iggy would break into a fit of giggles. Fang was asleep on the table. Harry looked extremely bored. Hermione kept tutting, and looked irritated.

"Has anyone seen anything?" I asked, nearly an hour later.

"Yeah," Fang said, which surprised everyone because he only woke up now. "Look, there's a burn in the table. Someone wasn't careful with their candle."

We laughed loudly, not really caring what was happening. Trelawney stared at us, but didn't say anything. When we calmed down, Hermione muttered, "This is such a waste of time! I could be doing something useful, like Cheering Charms."

This time, when Professor Trelawney looks at us, she does come over. "Would any of you like any help to understand what the shadows are meaning?" she says, hers necklaces and bracelets jiggling loudly.

"I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's obvious. There will be a lot of fog tonight."

We started laughing louder now then before.

"Now, really!" Trelawney snapped. Everyone turned around to look at us, and I noticed that Pavarti and Lavender were looking scandalized. I rolled my eyes, hoping they saw. "You are interrupting the spiritual vibrations!" She came closer to our table, and leaned down to look at our crystal ball. I groaned quietly, felt my heart sink, and shared a dreading look with Harry. We both knew what was going to happen...

"There is something there..." Trelawney gasped, drawling back. "Something moving...But I cannot tell what it is..."

Before I could say something, Hermione said, "For Merlin's Sake!" she said loudly. "Not the stupid Grim again!"

Professor Trelawney gazed at Hermione with her huge eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pavarti and Lavender whisper to each other, then glare at Hermione. Just fro that, I'm going to stay up all night playing my guitar. That should annoy them.

Trelawney straightened up, unmistakably angry.

"I am sorry to say, Miss Granger, that from the moment you stepped foot in my class, I knew you didn't posses what the noble art of Divination needs. To be entirely honest, my dear, I have never met someone who's mind is so mundane."

There was silence before-

"Well fine then!" Hermione hissed. I've never seen her this angry in one day before. It actually frightened me. I mean, I know I have a terrible temper, but Hermione...

Hermione grabbed her book, shoved it into her bag, and shouted, "I give up! I'm done with all this! It's all fake anyway!" And she walked to the trapdoor, kicked it open and climbed down, and disappeared.

I stared at the crystal ball in front of me. Had Professor Trelawney truly seen the Grim? Or was it a hoax? Still, I couldn't stop the worry boiling in my stomach.

At the end of Divination, we left, talking about Hermione.

"Some day Hermione's having," Iggy said, running his hand through his longing blonde hair. As I looked at his hair, and Fang's, then thinking about Nudge's(who I really need to talk to soon) and then Gazzy and Angel's... we really needed to get haircuts.

The Easter holidays weren't really holidays. The teachers gave us so much homework, the only times I wasn't doing any was when I was eating, sleeping, or at Quidditch practice. I wouldn't be doing any, but Hermione was hovering over my shoulder all the time, making sure I did it.

The Gryffindor versus Slytherin match was to take place on the first Saturday of the holidays. Slytherin were now leading by two-hundred points, which Oliver kept reminding us of. This meant, that to win the match, we had to score more then that. Oliver really liked following me and Harry around in the corridors and shouting instructions at us.

All of Gryffindor house was obsessed with the upcoming match, but I doubt anyone wanted to win more then the team. Most importantly, I wanted to humiliate Malfoy in front of the entire school. With all the commotion in the common room at nights, Hermione had to leave her books down.

On the night before the match, Harry and I were sitting in front of the fire, feeling the nerves in our stomachs.

"You'll both be fine," Hermione said.

"Your both amazing players!" Nudge added.

It was a relief when Oliver Wood shouted, "Team! Go to bed!"

Harry and I shared nervous glances, and without looking at anyone else, or bothering to listen to people wish us good luck.

I couldn't sleep. I stayed up most of the night playing complicated songs and chords on my guitar. Not loudly though. Hermione had finally fallen asleep without doing any work or study, so I didn't want to wake her. When I did get to sleep, it was nearing dawn. I woke up at nine o'clock, my guitar right beside my head.

I got dressed quickly, and went down to the common room. The rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were already there, waiting for me, and together, we walked down to the Great Hall, where we were greeted with tremendous applause. I couldn't help smiling when I saw Ethan whistling and encouraging other Ravenclaws to clap and cheer too. He saw me smiling at him, and he beamed at me, his cheeks flaming slightly. I would of gone over to talk to him, but Fred put his hand on my back, and dragged me to the Gryffindor table to sit with rest of the team.

I could still fell Ethan's eyes on me as I nibbled away on my breakfast. I barely noticed the hisses and boos coming at us from the Slytherin table.

Nudge walked over to us, and said, "Max, I made you this. I hope you like it, it's for your hair. You know, so it won't get in your eyes during the match-"

"Thanks Nudge," I said, before she can ramble on. I took the thing in her hand. It was a beautiful red and gold head-band, clearly hand-made, but still beautiful. I smiled at Nudge and hugged her. "I love it," I said, and put it in my hair.

When the team finished their breakfast, we left the Hall to the same applause, then walked out to the grounds. "Good luck Harry!" I heard Cho shouting. I looked at Harry, and when I saw him blush, it made a strange feeling chorus through me. But the feeling evaporated when Ethan yelled, "You can do it Max! Slytherin's haven't got any talent!" Even though Malfoy was glaring at him, Ethan just smiled and laughed. I laughed and followed the team to the pitch.

Wood started pacing around the pitch, muttering about the conditions. When the front doors of the castle opened and everyone started streaming out of them, Wood said, "Team, into the Locker rooms." Wood looked like he was going to be sick. Now that I look at everyone, the whole team looks sick to their stomachs. I felt it too, but I felt more determination then nervousness. I wanted to win this match, and beat Slytherin.

No one spoke as we changed into our scarlet robes. Wood didn't even give his usual prep-talk before the match. Everyone sat down, and after what seemed like no time at all, Wood said, "Okay. Let's go."

We walked onto the pitch to a tidal wave of noise. I scanned the crowd, found Ron, Hermione, Nudge, Fang and Iggy waving and yelling support. I found Ethan with the other Ravenclaws, holding a Gryffindor banner and screaming himself hoarse. And in the Slytherin side-

I stopped dead.

At the back of the Slytherin stands, just standing there like everything was completely normal was an Eraser. I stared at it for a few minutes, my jaw hanging open, and watched as the Eraser pulled a syringe from his pocket (yeah, Erasers wear clothes. I didn't get it either) and winked at me. He then looked at Fang, Iggy and Nudge, who were standing next to each other in the stands, laughing and smiling. I blinked, but when I looked back at where the Eraser was, he was gone.

"Max?" Harry asked, "Are you okay?" I nodded and closed my mouth. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thought I saw something, that's all," I said, putting on a sweet face and smiling. But inside, my heart is hammering. Was that an illusion? Or had it actually happened? Before I could think of it anymore, Madam Hooch blew the whistle and we all mounted our broomsticks and kicked off hard from the ground.

Katie swooped down low and grabbed the Quaffle. I raced down towards the Slytherin goal posts, ducking and dodging the Slytherin players that were trying to block me. Katie was heading straight for the goal posts, but Warrington from Slytherin flew up and intercepted her. He sped up to the other side of the pitch, but George managed to whack the Bludger to his direction.

I could vaguely hear Lee Jordon's commentary over the roar of the wind, and the crowd.

Warrington dropped the Quaffle, and Angelina, who was closer, dived and caught it easily. She had to swerve around one of the Slytherin Chasers, but once she was past him, the only thing stopping her from scoring was the Keeper. She went close to the posts, and fired it right past the Keeper!

"Well done, Angelina!" I yelled.

Angelina punched the air, smiling proudly. I think, out of the three Chasers on the Gryffindor team, Angelina was the best, and most proud.

"OUCH!" Angelina screamed, and I wheeled around to see what happened. Marcus Flint, the Slytherin captain, had flown straight into her, nearly making her fall from her broomstick. "Sorry," Flint said, "I didn't see her!" He was smiling smugly though, trying not to laugh. Fred, looking more furious then I've ever seen him, smashed the Bludger right into the back of his head, so Flint's face went right into the handle of his broomstick and his nose started bleeding.

"That's enough!" Madam Hooch shouted, flying over to us and blowing her whistle repeatedly until she got everyone's attention.

"A penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on a Chaser, and a penalty for Slytherin for deliberate attack on their Chaser!" Madam Hooch ordered.

"Come off it Miss!" George called, glaring at Flint, who was grinning under all the blood that was dripping down his face. Madam Hooch blew her whistle again, and Katie said, "Max, you have the strongest throw. You take it," and she threw the Quaffle to me. There was no denying that I was nervous. I can't miss...

I lined up in front of the Slytherin goal posts, where the Keeper was glaring at me, not even bothering to block two of the three posts. I fired the Quaffle as hard as I could towards the hoop on the left, and-

"MAX RIDE HAS BEATEN THE KEEPER! THAT'S TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!" Lee Jordon shouted. I smiled, and did a loop in the air to celebrate. When I calmed down again, I turned to see Flint, who was still bleeding heavily, take his penalty. Wood was hovering over all three hoops, his jaw clenched. I held my breath.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! WOOD SAVED IT!" Lee yelled.

Relieved, I started flying in motion with Katie and Angelina again, ducking and swerving, catching the Quaffle and throwing it. It was a very rough game. Everyone was getting attacked by the other team. Katie nearly feel off her broomstick when one of the Slytherin Chasers grabbed her head instead of the Quaffle, and she ended up whacking her face off her broomstick, causing her lip to burst open and bleed.

One of the Slytherin Beaters hit me in the face with their clubs after I scored a point. It hurt like hell, and there was going to be a huge bruise there tomorrow, but it didn't stop me from kicking him hard in a particularly sore place for boys, so that made Gryffindor and Slytherin get penalty's. Katie took our penalty, and scored, but Wood saved the one from Slytherin.

The crowd was going mental. There wasn't a quiet moment in the stands.

Harry was getting more attacked then the others on the team, but he didn't actually get hurt because he was so fast. He even managed to cause a collision in midair between the Slytherin Beaters.

Angelina was flying up to the goals, but Flint punched the Quaffle from her hands, caught it, then scored. The noise from the Slytherin end was tremendous, and Lee Jordon swore so badly and loudly that McGonagall tried pulling the microphone from her.

Between me, Katie and Angelina we managed to make the score fifty-ten. Fred and George were circulating Katie (who scored the last goal) in case the Slytherin's wanted revenge. But the Slytherin Beaters (I never bothered to learn their names) took advantage of this, and whacked both Bludgers towards Wood, one after the other. They both hit him right in the stomach. He rolled over on his broomstick, gasping for breath, completely winded.

Madam Hooch was red in the face from screaming. "YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS IN THE SCORING AREA!" she bellowed. "Gryffindor penalty!"

I took the penalty, and grinned when it hit the Slytherin Keepers face, then went past the hoop. I scored again, making the score sixty-ten. Then Angelina got the Quaffle and scored again. Seventy-ten. If Harry doesn't catch the Snitch soon, someone was going to get seriously hurt.

Everyone stopped dead when Harry put on a burst of speed, and dived low to the floor. Malfoy was right behind him. Anger went through me when I watched Malfoy reach out and take hold of the tail of Harry's Firebolt. Harry turned around, and said, "You-"

"Penalty to Gryffindor!" Madam Hooch yelled. "I've never seen such tactics!"

Angelina went to take the penalty, but like the rest of us, she was so angry that she missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was so angry and distracted now that we were losing concentration, and that made the Slytherin team happier. They scored once more, making the score seventy-twenty.

One of the Slytherin Chaser's threw the Quaffle to to another, but I shot up and grabbed it and streaked off towards the Slytherin end. Every member of the Slytherin team, except for the Keeper, flew out to block me. There was no way I could get out of it. But then Harry shot down towards the Slytherin's and screamed loudly, "AAAARRRRGGGHHH!"

It worked, whatever he was doing. The Slytherin team scattered, and my way was clear. I could hear Lee yelled, "Come on, Max! SCORE!"

I threw it. It went past the hoops. "SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES!" Lee shouted. It was now eighty-twenty. But, a happy feeling didn't come because out of the corner of my eye, I saw Malfoy diving down low, and I saw the golden glint of the Snitch. Harry started chasing him, but I didn't know whether he would get it. The whole pitch seemed to freeze. The people in the stands stopped shouting and cheering, and the players stopped in their tracks to watch.

Harry was gaining on Malfoy. He was level with his broomstick. Now his ankles. They were exactly level. Harry threw himself flat on his broomstick, knocked Malfoy's hand out of the way, and-

"YES!" Harry yelled, pulling out of the dive, and raised his clenched hand into the air. The entire stadium erupted into cheers and screams. Harry soared high into the air over the crowed, and I flew up to follow him. I wrapped him in a huge hug, and without thinking, I gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "We did it, Harry! We won the Cup!" I shouted. He wrapped his arms around my waist and said, "I know! You were amazing!"

"So were you!" I said. Then before another word could be said, the rest of the team was there, wrapping me and Harry in tight embraces. Wood looked like he was going to burst into tears. Tangled in each other arms, we flew down to the ground again.

All of the Gryffindor house, and supporters, came streaming onto the pitch. Hands were patting our backs, ruffling our hair, and shouting congratulations to us. I even noticed some people kissing my cheek.

The team were lifted onto the shoulders of the crowd. I laughed and smiled, and looked around the crowd. One of the people who's shoulders I was on was Ethan. He smiled, and yelled, "You were amazing!" "Thanks! I loved the banner!" I said. Ethan beamed, but I was carried away before we could have a proper conversation.

Professor McGonagall was sobbing hysterically, Percy was jumping up and down, all dignity forgotten, and for the first time, I wasn't irritated with him. And then there was Hermione, Nudge, Fang, Iggy and Ron running towards us, beaming. They seeemed unable to say anything.

We were carried to the stands, where Dumbledore was waiting with the Quidditch Cup.

As Wood passed the Cup to me and Harry, where we held it between us and lifted it into the air.

I felt like I could produce the best ever Patronus.

_**I am soooooooo sorry for the long wait on this chapter. But because it took me so long, I made it really long. There's more then 5000 words so I hope you all like it! Thanks for all the birthday wishes, and the reviews. **_

_**I love all you guys so much! Free Butterbeer and cookies to everyone who reviewed, and who will review :p**_

_**Next chapter should be up soon! :)**_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_


	23. The Frauds Prediction

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Hello everyone! How are you?**_

_**Good news! I have a week off school so that means... MORE FANFICTION! WHOOP!**_

_**And I think I might be going to see The Woman in Black soon... So excited!**_

**_Anyway, here's the chapter :p_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

**_Max's POV_**

The great feeling about winning the Quidditch Cup lasted the whole team, and all of Gryffindor house, lasted more then a few days. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating with us. As we entered June, the sun was blazing every day, the blue sky cloudless, and birds singing for hours on end. The weather was so good, in fact, that me, Fang, Iggy and Nudge went flying every morning, and every night. We also took advantage of the weekends to practice our fighting. After I told them about seeing the Eraser at the match, we were training more and more.

There wasn't much time to do anything else. Because it was the end of the school year, that meant exams. We were forced to stay in the castle, in the roasting common room, or the stuffy library, trying to make our brains study, instead of looking out the window and daydreaming of what could be...

Over the past few weeks, I never thought much of Professor Lupin and my assumption about him. But one night, while Hermione was forcing me to ask her questions about Potions, and it suddenly, randomly crossed my mind. "Hermione... Don't you think it's strange that Lupin always looks bad once a month? Roughly around the same time every month?" I said casually, as if I was asking her about the weather.

Something flashed in her eyes, but she just muttered, "I've never noticed. You do know that your observation skills are much better then mine." I smile, forgetting about the conversation, then felt furious with myself. Damn Hermione! She always knew how to distract me with compliments!

But after that, if I mentioned anything about Lupin being a werewolf, she would ignore me. That just made me believe even more that I was right.

The boy's have finally stopped asking Hermione how she was getting to all her classes. But after they saw her exam schedule, Iggy couldn't resist.

"Hermione, have you written this wrong?" He asked, handing her back the schedule.

"Of course I haven't," Hermione said from behind her mountain of Transfiguration notes. "But, look," Harry said, taking the schedule from Iggy and reading it out. "Monday, 9 o'clock, Arithmancy. 9 o'clock, Transfiguration. Lunch. 1 o'clock, Charms. 1 o'clock, Ancient Runes."

We all stared at her.

"That has to be a mistake," I said. Hermione frowned, and shook her head. "It's not," she said simply.

"Is there any point is asking how your planning on sitting these exams at the same time?" Fang asked.

"No," Hermione said. Ron rolled his eyes, then looked back to his Defense Against the Dark Arts notes.

That afternoon we had our Potions exam. I think it's safe to say that it was a complete disaster. I couldn't remember anything about Confusing Concoction, which was a bit too ironic if you ask me. And there was something wrong with the mad glint in Snape's eyes. He stood over my shoulder, and scribbled something on his clipboard beside my name, that looked remarkably like a zero. I dropped my ladle and snapped, "That's not fair! I'm not even finished!"

"Well, Ride, you have made so many mistakes that nothing will make this potion even mildly acceptable," Snape said. "But you can't just give me a zero without even looking at it properly!" I said hotly, my cheeks flaming. "I can tell that it deserves a zero. Twenty points from Gryffindor for questioning the way I teach," Snape said, his face remaining emotionless. "And if you ever do question the way I teach again, you will be in detention until you graduate."

I was so mad I that I wasn't even thinking what I was saying. "I wouldn't have to question it if you could teach." Everyone in the dungeon was silent. Snape was clearly furious, but all he said, in a deathly calm voice, was "If you say anything like that again, Miss Ride, I will personally make sure that you are expelled. Fifty points from Gryffindor." And he just walked away, checking on everyone else's potions.

That night, we had our Astronomy exam. I was still furious about Potions, but I had to let that go so I could concentrate on naming all the planets.

Wednesday morning brought History of Magic, and I was glad all the flock had brilliant memories, even though it didn't help for the Confusing Concoction...

_**Max, you need to forget about Professor Snape. Focus on the exam's you can do really well in. **_The Voice said. This was one of the times I agreed with the Voice, but I wasn't going to tell anyone that. t

That afternoon, we had Herbology. We were in the glasshouses, so the sun was blazing in on us during the entire test, making everyone feel extremely uncomfortable. The only person that wasn't sipping water every few minutes was Neville. He had a determined look on his round face, and was doing everything with fast, capable hands. Then we go back to the common room, to study for the other tests, thinking longingly of when all this would be over.

The second to last exam on Thursday was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had set up the weirdest exam we've ever seen. It was out in the ground, beside the lake. It was an obstacle course. We had to go through a deep pool, containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, make our way past a patch of marsh, while ignoring the Hinkypunks, then climb into a coat closet and fight a Boggort.

When the Eraser materialized in front of me, I tried to ignore the feeling of claustrophobia that was closing in on me, and to fight the Boggort. At first, I forgot about wands, and just punched at kicked at the Eraser. But eventually I pulled out my wand and shouted, "Ridikulus!"

There was a small pop, and the Eraser disappeared. I rushed out of the closet, feeling like my chest was going to collapse. I leaned against the closet to get my breath back, and fight the feeling of claustrophobia. "Well done Max!" Lupin cheered. "Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded, and gasped "Pretty small in there." Something clicked in Lupin's eyes, and he said, "That's okay. You can wait over there if there's nothing I can do for you." "Thanks Professor," I said, and waited over with the boys, to watch Hermione's turn. Fang and Iggy seemed fine, and I wondered if they felt the smallness of the closet like I did.

She did very well, remember all the spells, and reciting them without hesitation. But what affected her was the Boggort. She climbed into the closet, and after two minutes, she leaped back out, sobbing. Professor Lupin rushed to her. "Hermione! What's wrong?"

"P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione sobbed, shaking uncontrollably. "S-she told me t-that I f-f-failed all my e-exams!"

Ron, Harry and Iggy shared a look, and burst out laughing. Fang was chuckling, which was his version of rolling on the floor with tears of laughter coming out of his eyes. The good thing though, is that no one noticed, especially Hermione... which would of been disastrous.

It took quite a while to calm Hermione down. When she got a grip on herself (which took long enough) the six of us went back to the castle, occasionally looking back to see Lupin collecting all his things. "Are you sure we shouldn't help him?" I asked, looking over my shoulder. Instead of an answer, I just walked right into Harry's back. "Hey!" I cried, "Person walking here!"

That's when I saw everyone else had stopped moving too. I looked at the castle, where Harry was staring.

On the stairs going in towards the castle, was the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, looking sweaty, confused and uncomfortable. When he spotted us, he gave a start, then smiled when he noticed Harry.

"Harry, m'boy!" he called, as if the rest of us weren't there at all. He stepped forward, and shook Harry's hand. "Just had an exam, eh? Nearly finished now, I assume?" he said, not even giving the rest of us the slightest bit of attention. Harry nodded. "Yes sir," he said respectfully, although it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he'd rather not be talking to Fudge.

"Lovely day," Fudge went on, glancing at the lake. "Pity...pity..."

"What's a pity?" I asked boldly, noticing that he was also glancing, not only at the lake, but repeatedly down at Hagrid's hut.

Fudge frowned at me, and sighed heavily. "I'm here on some unpleasant business. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures needs a witness for the execution of a Hippogriff. I agreed because I needed to check up on the Black situation. What's your name?" he asked me. I was too shocked by what he said to even think of something sarcastic to say. "Maximum Ride," I whisper. Fudge just nods, as if he wasn't even listening.

"Does that mean the appeals already happened?" Fang asked, looking uncharacteristically pale and nervous.

"No, its scheduled for this afternoon," Fudge says.

"So that means that Buckbeak doesn't need to be killed!" Ron said, his eyes bright.

Before Fudge could say anything, the double doors behind him opened, and two wizards stepped out. One was so old, I was expecting him to collapse on the floor and burst into ashes. The other was the absolute opposite. Young, strong and mean looking. I guessed they were from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, and the old man confirmed that by looking at Hagrid's hut and saying, "I'm getting much too old for this... Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"

I noticed that the young man was fingering something that was hanging in his belt. I looked down to see him running his thumb along the blade of a shining axe. I opened my mouth to say something about it, but Hermione nudged me in the ribs, making me groan. She jerked her head towards the Entrance Hall.

"What was that for?" I snapped, when we were safe inside the Entrance Hall. "Did you not see him? He already had an axe! There not going to give Buckbeak a real appeal! There's no justice in it!" I really just wanted to walk back outside, grab the axe from the executioner and throw it in the lake.

"Max, you live with Mr Weasley, who works for the Ministry. You can't just go saying something like that to his boss! Say what you want to anyone else, just not them!" Hermione said, looking very upset. "Just as long as Hagrid keeps a cool head, there might be a chance to save Buckbeak. But there isn't much we can do!"

All around us, people were chattering happily about the summer holidays. But after what just happened, and the thought of Buckbeak being killed for nothing, we didn't join in the celebrations.

Me, Harry, Ron, Fang and Iggy's last test was Divination. Hermione's was Muggle Studies.

We walked up the marble staircase together, but on the first-floor, Hermione left us and we continued up to North Tower, where we found many of our class sitting under the trapdoor of Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram more for the upcoming test. "She's seeing us all separately," Neville said when we sat beside him on the floor. "Have any of you been able to see anything in the crystal balls?" he asked, looking miserable.

"Nope," we answered together. The five of us kept checking our watches, each of us silently counting down the time to Buckbeak's appeal.

The line of people in front of us shorted very slowly. When each person came down the ladder, the rest of the class hissed, "How was it? What did she ask?" But they all refused to answer us. I didn't hesitate to give them all rude gestures, and call them rude names. Harry would whack me, but he was laughing too much for it to make any impact.

When Pavarti came down, she was glowing with pride. "She say's I have what it makes to be a true Seer!" She squealed. I glared at her, but she didn't noticed. She grabbed her bag, and scampered away. I rolled my eyes, and banged my head against the wall behind me. The boy's chuckled.

"Iggy Griffiths," came the familiar, misty voice from over our heads. Iggy grimaced, and climbed up the ladder.

Finally, Iggy came back down. "How'd it go, Ig?" I asked.

"Awful," Iggy said cheerfully, looking delighted. "I couldn't see anything. Made the whole thing up." He looked around at us, then said, "I'm starving. See you guys later." And he grabbed his bag, and walked away, whistling happily.

"Fang Martinez," Trelawney called.

"Here we go," Fang groaned. "I should just jump over the stairs." But when she called him again, he didn't have much of a choice but to climb up the ladder.

So, it was just me and Harry. "Are you just going to make everything up?" he asked. "If I can't see anything. So, yeah, I'll just make it all up," I said. He chuckled, and said, "I'm really worried about Hagrid, Max." This is how I know how much Harry must really trust me. He wouldn't say any of this if the others were around. "I am too. I wish there was something we could do," I said, checking my watch again. It was half one. Another half and hour, and the appeal would begin.

"It's not fair. Buckbeak didn't even do anything," Harry went on.

"I know. I should be Malfoy getting his head chopped off," I said, trying to make light of the situation. It didn't work. Harry remained impassive.

"Maybe if we go to Dumbledore..." he tried, looking at me. I shook my head. "Me and Hermione already suggested that to Hagird. He told us not to involve Dumbledore. Said he couldn't do anything, anyway."

Harry huffed. Then he grinned. Honestly, the mood swings this guy had!

"Remember the look on Malfoy's face when you punched him last year?" he said, and we both started laughing. "It was better in first-year!" I said. We laughed harder. "Wish I was there for that one," Harry said, smiling. "I don't want to brag, but it was one of my finer punches," I laughed. We remained in silence for a few minutes, before I asked, "Harry? Are you worried about Sirius Black?"

Harry didn't answer straight away, but he said, "I'm not really sure. I want to find out what drove him to betray his best friends, but I'm not scared about ever having to face him."

"Would you be able to do anything to him? Like, kill him?" I ask. I don't know what brought all this on. It just sort of slipped out, and now it won't stop.

Harry frowned. "I'm not sure. I guess I'll find out if I ever see him."

After another silence, Harry asked, "Are you ever afraid that you'll be taken back to the School?"

"Yes," I answered without hesitation. "More afraid that the others will have to go back rather then me, but yes, I'm still afraid of it."

"That's understandable," Harry said. "Don't worry, Maxie. We'll all protect you and the flock."

I blushed slightly when he called me `Maxie', but smiled. "Thanks, Harry."

I lay my hand on his arm for a moment, then Fang climbed down the ladder. I jerked my hand back, blushing more now then before.

Fang smirked, but didn't say anything. He grabbed his school bag, and strolled down the hall. He called behind his shoulder, "Have fun!"

"Harry Potter," Trelawney shouted. Harry stared into my eyes, and grinned. "I better get my imagination flowing," he said, and climbed the ladder into the perfume scented room.

I was left on my own, sitting on the floor. I started practicing some guitar chords in the air, thinking of a rock song on my mind. After around ten minutes, I heard footsteps above me. Harry must be finished. I stood up, quietly humming a song under my breath, waiting for my name to be called, when I heard an eerie, harsh voice from Trelawney's room saying, "IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT!"

My heart thumping, I quietly climbed up the ladder and pulled myself up into the classroom. The overpowering smell of the perfume made me stumble and cough, and I had to blink a few times for my eyes to stop watering. When I looked up, Harry was staring at Trelawney, his bag handing loosely in his hand. Trelawney was leaning on the table, her eyes wide and glassy and unfocused, her mouth sagging. None of them noticed me.

"S-sorry?" Harry asked, looking freaked out.

Professor Trelawney didn't seem to hear him. Her eyes started rolling, and Harry looked panicked. I rushed toward him. He blinked at the sight of me, but took hold of my hand and squeezed it. I was just about to suggest running to the hospital wing, when Trelawney started talking in that strange harsh, voice.

"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT...THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT...BEFORE MIDNIGHT...THE SERVANT...WILL SET OUT...TO REJOIN...HIS MASTER..."

Harry was squeezing my hand really tight, and we stared at each other in shock.

Professor Trelawney's head rolled forward onto her chest. "Harry, what should we do?"

"I don't know," Harry said. We stood there, hand in hand, and just stared at Trelawney, wondering what to do. She started making a strange, grunting sound. Suddenly, her head snapped up again.

"I'm so sorry, dear boy," she said, then looked at me. "Oh, you must be Maximum. You do well enough in class, you do not need to sit the test. You can both go."

We both stood in the same spot, staring at her.

"Is something wrong, dears?" she asked.

"You-you just said that the Dark Lord would rise again," I said.

"The Dark Lord? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Sweet girl, that's hardly something to joke about. Ride again, indeed..."

"But you said it! You said that his servant would come and help him rise again!" Harry said.

"I think the two of you must of dozed off as well," Trelawney said. "I would never predict something as far-fetched as that!"

We both climbed down the ladder, part of me relieved that I didn't have to do the exam. But I was also wondering... Did Professor Trelawney just make a real prediction? Or was it part of the test?

Five minutes later, the two of us burst into Gryffindor tower, eager to tell the others what just happened. It wasn't until Fred and George started wolf whistling that I realized Harry and I were still holding hands. I jerked my hand away from he's, my face a deep red.

The common room was almost deserted, except for the twins, obviously, and some others, that probably still had some exam's later on in the afternoon, and Ron, Hermione, Fang, and Iggy. We headed straight towards them, and I was so glad that Nudge wasn't around because I did not want her listening to this.

"You will never believe what just happened to us," I said, sitting in the spare seat beside Hermione. "Professor Trelawney just told us that-"

"Buckbeak lost the appeal," Iggy said, "Hagrid's just sent us this." That was when I saw Iggy's grey owl, Grenade, was standing on the table.

I took the letter from Iggy and read it. There were no tear's on the page this time, but the writing is so messy it was clear that his hand was shaking when he wrote it.

_Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it. _  
><em>Hagrid <em>

I handed the note to Harry, not knowing what I'm meant to think.

"We need to go," Harry said. "We've got go right now. We can't let him sit on his own, waiting for the executioner!"

"It's at sunset though," Ron said. "We'd never be allowed. Especially you, Harry."

Harry's head dropped, and a frown crept upon his face.

"If only we had the Invisibility Cloak..." Fang said.

Something clicked in Hermione's eyes. "Where is it?" she asked Harry. He told her where the statue of the one-eyed witch was, and how to get in. Without a word, Hermione swept out of her seat and out of the common room. "She hasn't gone after it?" Iggy asked, staring after her.

But, because it was Hermione, of course she had gone after it. About ten minutes later, Hermione came back into the common room, holding the Invisibility Cloak. "Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately! First, you punch Malfoy, then you walk on Trelawney-" Hermione looked quite flattered.

We went down to dinner with everyone else, but didn't go back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry had the Cloak under his robes, and had to keep his hands folded over his stomach all during dinner. When dinner was over, the six of us sneaked off into an empty chamber in the Entrance Hall, and waited until we were sure that no one was there. When I thought it was deserted, I opened the door, but had to shut it close again because Nudge was only walking up the staircase now. Her footsteps were so quiet and quick, I never even heard them. Thankfully, she didn't see me. This wasn't something I wanted her seeing, or even knowing about.

Finally, after another minute, Hermione poked her head around the door, and whispered, "It's clear. Cloak on."

Harry threw the Cloak over the six of us, and we seriously needed to walk really close together. It wasn't like before. Fang, Ron and Iggy were really getting much more taller, so we needed to make sure their feet weren't showing.

We reached Hagrid's hut. Outside, in the pumpkin patch, Buckbeak was tied to a log that was sticking into the ground. I wish I could go over to him, and just pet his head, try to make him feel better, because you could almost tell that he knew what was going to happen. But Fang had already knocked on Hagrid's door, and I could hear him saying, "Hagrid! It's us!"

Hagrid opened the door, looked around, and frowned. "We're under the Cloak!" Harry hissed.

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back so we could get past him.

Hagrid wasn't crying, or he didn't ask us for comfort. He looked like a man that was lost, that didn't know what to do. In my opinion, this was worse then the uncontrollable sobbing.

"Wan' some tea?" he asked, in a distant voice. We agreed, and Hagrid started making tea. But, his hands were shaking so much, that when he started pouring in the milk, the jug slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor. "I'll get it, Hagrid," Hermione said, darting forward to clean up the mess. "And I'll finish the tea," I said, seeing as he only finished one, and there's seven of us.

"There's another jug in the cupboard," Hagrid said, his voice hoarse. I started looking for the jug, and when I found it, I boiled the kettle again because the water had gone cold.

"Is there nothing we can do, Hagrid? Or even Dumbledore?" Fang was asking.

"Dumbledore's tried," Hagrid grunted. "But he doesn't have power over the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak was alright, but they're scared. Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy is like. Threatened 'em all, no doubt...An' the executioner, Macnair, is an old friend of Malfoy's. But, I'll be quick, an' clean, an' I'll be beside him the whole time..."

Hagrid started looking around the cabin, as if hoping some type of enormous comfort would just leap out at him.

"Dumbledore told me he was comin' down... Said he wants ter be with me when... When it happens," Hagrid took a shaky breath, and helplessly looked out the window. "Great man, Dumbledore, great man," he said. Hermione, who was putting the shards of the jug into the bin, choked back a sob. "We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," she said.

"Yeh're ter go back ter the castle! All of yeh!" I told yeh, I don't want ye watching. And besides, if Fudge, or Dumbledore knew yeh were here, yeh'll be in big trouble! Especially you, Harry," Hagrid said.

Silent tears were falling onto Hermione's cheeks. She turned back to the cups of tea, and started finishing them. When two were finished, I took them over to Ron and Iggy, who were closer. But, just when I was handing Iggy his cup, Hermione let out a shriek loud enough that I jumped, causing all the boiling tea to leap from the cup and land on Iggy's hand. He cried out, so I started shouting sorry over and over again. Iggy was wiping his hand frantically on his robes, wincing. When he pulled his hand down, there were red, angry blisters blossoming on his hand.

"It's fine Max," he said, after I apologized for the umpteenth time. "Now, I might be able to attract the attention of the ladies." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. I laughed, and Iggy did as well.

"Mate, if there was a flaming arrow going through your head, you still wouldn't be able to attract the attention of the ladies," Harry said, laughing. Iggy chuckled, and said, "Your just jealous, Potter." Iggy relaxed into his chair, as if there wasn't, what I think it might be, a second-degree burn.

"Hermione, why did you scream?" Ron asked, sipping on his tea, as I went to get cold water for Iggy's hand.

"Ron- I don't believe it!- It's Scabbers!" Hermione gasped.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

Hermione carried over the milk jug to the table and turned it upside down. There was a sharp squeak, then Scabber's came scampering onto the table.

"Scabbers!" Ron exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" He picked up the rat, but Scabbers was putting up a real fight to break away. "It's alright, Scabbers," Ron said, "There aren't any mean cats here to hurt you." Ron held him up higher, trying to get a better grip on Scabbers, and that's when we all noticed how terrible the rat looked. He had lost a lot of weight, and he was covered in bold patches.

Hagrid suddenly stood up, nearly sending the table out the window. "They're comin'" he said simply, a look of misery crossing his face.

The six of us raced to the window, Iggy falling behind because he was trying to keep the cloth of cold ice and water around his hand. I still felt terrible about burning him, but I guess I'll just have to make it up to him later.

There was a group of men walking from the steps of the castle, towards Hagrid's hut. The man in front was very obviously Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard and hair, and his dress sense. Beside him, was Cornelius Fudge, and the old Committee member. Bringing up the rear, was Macnair, his axe gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. I couldn't take it anymore. I wheeled around to face Hagrid.

"Hagrid, we can't let them kill Buckbeak. He never did anything! We'll stay here, and defend him as much as we can. It's not justice if he's killed," I say, looking Hagrid straight in the eyes so he knows I'm not bluffing.

"Max, yeh gotta go. Yeh can't stay here. Thanks, but please-"

"Max is right," Fang interrupted. "We'll stay. The six of us. We can tell them what really happened."

"Go!" Hagrid said fiercely, and he led us to his back door. I felt weirdly surreal, as if none of this could possibly be happening, even though I was looking at Buckbeak, and the image of Macnair's sharp blade wouldn't leave my mind.

Buckbeak was pawing at the ground nervously. "It's okay, Beaky," Hagrid cooed softly. He turned back to us. "Get goin'" he said, trying to push us from his hut.

We didn't move.

"We can't-"

"It's not fair-"

"We need to tell them what really happened-"

"He can't be killed-"

"Go!" Hagrid insisted. "Bad enough with yeh lot in trouble an' all." We didn't have much of a choice anymore. Before Fang could throw the Cloak over us, I ran closer to Hagrid and wrapped my arms around him, hoping it would give him a slight bit of comfort. The others copied me, then Fang covered the six of us with the Invisibility Cloak. Hagrid watched us vanish. "Go quickly," he said. "Don't listen."

He stroke back into his cabin, and closed the door just as someone knocked on the front door. "Please," Hermione said in a quiet, miserable voice. "Please, I can't bear it..."

We started making our way back to the castle. The sky was a clear, purple-tinged grey, but by the castle, it was ruby red. Before we had even gone that far, Ron stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh, Ron, please don't stop!" Hermione gasped. There were fresh tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," Ron began, grunting. "It's Scabbers- He won't stay put!"

Ron was bent over, grunting, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, while the rat was going mental. He was squeaking madly and shrilly, twisting and jerking, trying to bite Ron.

"Scabbers! It's me! It's Ron, you bloody idiot!" Ron kept saying. Behind us, there was the sound of a door opening, and men's voices filled the air. Hermione was practically hyperventilating at this point. She took hold of my hand, and whispered, "Ron, please, they're doing it... please!"

"Okay, but Scabbers- stay put!"

We walked forward. Hermione was squeezing my hand hard, and without looking at who it was, I grabbed the hand of the person standing on the other side of me. Before I could look at who it was, Ron stopped again. "I can't hold him! Shut up, Scabbers, everyone will hear us!"

No matter how loud the rat was shrieking and squealing, it wasn't enough to cover the sound of the men talking in Hagrid's garden. There was a jumbled of male voices, a silence, then without even the subtle warning, the swish and thud of an axe. Beside me, Hermione swayed on the spot. I squeezed the hand's of the people on either side of me dangerously tight.

"They did it," Hermione gasped painfully. "I can't believe they did it!"

Neither could I.

Buckbeak was dead.

_**Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait. You know I had the week off, but I hadn't realized how much I had to do over the week. But here's the chapter!**_

___**Woman in Black was kinda scary, but not as much as I thought. Still amazing though! Anyone else see it?**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! Love you guys!**_

___**Free Butterbeer and cookies to everyone that reviews, so...**_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

**_-Rach ;) xx_**


	24. Cat, Rat, Dog and Secrets

**_AUTHORS NOTE! _**

**_Hello everyone! _**

**_I'm gonna answer some reviews now..._**

**_Nico-the-Neko, that's great about your English! And my favorite books are either Order of the Phoenix, or Deathly Hallows. What about you?_**

**_AnikaandAj, I really agree. The whole movie was great, except for the ending. I thought the ending was going to be the most scariest! _**

**_Bethzilla, am I? Really? I never noticed... Was it just that chapter, or the whole story? Thank you for telling me, I won't do it again. Thanks a lot :)_**

**_Thanks to everyone else that reviewed! Love you guys!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Max's POV<em>**

My mind had gone completely blank with shock. The six of us stood huddled, shaking, under the Invisibility Cloak. I was right not to tell Nudge about any of this. She would be on her knees, sobbing, if she saw what was happening. Nudge was tough, and stronger then any average human, but let me tell you, when it comes to innocent animals... She loses it.

Behind us, there was a loud, painful howl. Hagrid.

Harry started moving back towards Hagrid's hut, but Fang and Ron grabbed his arms, keeping him back. But someone else was holding him back too. Me. Our hands were entwined. So it was his hand I grabbed before Buckbeak was... i can't even think of it. Harry calmed down, and stopped fighting against Ron and Fang. He looked down at our hands. By his expression, he hadn't realized we were holding hands either. Still, he didn't make a move to free his hand.

"Hagrid..." Harry muttered, his face pained. "We can't," Iggy said, paler then usual. "We'll cause more trouble if they knew we were down there." Sometimes, even people like Iggy have a burst of knowledge and logic. Amazing.

Hermione was breathing fast and shallow. I thought she was going to past out. "How... could...they?" she gasped, her face wet with all her tears.

"We should go," Fang said. His face remained expressionless, but I could see in his eyes that it really affected him. Sometimes, even brick walls had feelings.

We started walking towards the castle, taking slow, tedious steps to remain hidden under the Cloak. It was slowly getting darker the further we walked.

"Scabbers- keep still!" Ron hissed, trying to keep Scabbers still. Ron came to a stop, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What is wrong with you? Stupid rat! Keep still- OUCH! He bit me!" Ron yelled.

"Ron! Shut up!" I hissed. "Fudge will be here in a minute!"

"He won't stay still!" Ron cried. Scabbers seemed absolutely terrified. He was struggling, and wriggling, trying to break Ron's grip on him.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Iggy asked.

"That," Harry said, pointing ahead. Crookshanks was prowling towards us, his wide yellow eyes shining in the darkness. I couldn't tell whether or not he was able to see us, or if it was Scabbers cried that made him know we were here.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione groaned. "No! Go away, Crookshanks!"

But the cat only came closer.

"Scabbers! No!"

It was too late. The struggling rat had slipped through Ron's fingers, he hit the ground and darted away. In one leap, Crookshanks was after him and before anyone could make any movement, Ron threw the Cloak off him, and ran after Scabbers and Crookshanks.

"Ron!" I cried. We stared at each other then sprinted after him. But after a few minutes of running, we found out it was quite difficult to sprint under the Cloak, with five of us. I reached up and threw the Cloak of us, then handed it to Harry, then continued sprinting. With our strange and bird-like bone structure, the flock were faster then average people, so that meant that me, Fang and Iggy caught up with Ron before Harry and Hermione, although Harry was pretty close behind us.

Still, we couldn't see Ron. We could hear his shouts at Crookshanks, but he wasn't to be seen, even though I could of sworn he was right in front of us.

"Get away from him, you stinking cat!" We heard Ron yell, then there was a thud. We all froze, thinking the worst, but started running again when Ron screamed, "Gotcha! Get off, you stupid cat!"

We almost fell over Ron, who was sprawled on the ground and Scabbers was back in his pocket. "Ron, get back under the Cloak before I kick your butt!" I growled.

Hermione nodded, and gasped, "Dumbledore- The Minister- They'll be coming back up in a minute!"

Before Ron got to his feet, or before the others could catch their breath, we heard the pounding of gigantic paws and heavy breath. I wheeled around, and my blood started singing.

It was an enormous, grey-eyed, black dog.

I started reaching for my wand, but also going into a fighting stance, ready to give a roundhouse kick if needed. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Fang and Iggy doing the same, and Harry reaching into his robes for his wand. But the dog only had eyes for Harry.

Before Harry could get to his wand, the dog lunged and his front paws landed straight on Harry's chest. He feel over backwards, winded. Just as I thought the dog was going to rip his face off, he rolled off Harry, still growling. Ron hastily climbed to his feet, as the dog went for another attack. As he sprang forward, it seemed like it pushed Harry out of the way.

Then his teeth fastened around Ron's arm.

I dived forward, trying to grab onto Ron's other arm, but I only grazed the mutts fur. Ron was crying for help, but the dog was too fast. He was already yards away when I managed to scramble to my feet. The mutt was dragging Ron away as if he was a rag doll.

I tried running after him, but something hard hit me right on the ribs. I cried in pain, falling to the floor. I heard the others shrieking in pain as well.

I heard Harry reaching for his wand. A second later, he whispered, "_Lumos!" _and wand light illuminated the ground around us. I gasped when I saw where we ran to.

We had chased Ron and Scabbers and Crookshanks right to the Whomping Willow, a giant tree that could move and kill you. It was whipping it's branches back and forth, happy that we were injured but thinking we might try to go closer. And at the foot of the tree was-

"Ron!" I shouted, springing back to my feet. Ron was being dragged towards the base of the tree. Harry followed close behind me, a deep gash going across his cheek. Iggy's shoulder was cut, and blood was flowing heavily down his arm. Fang's leg was cut, and he was walking with a limp, and Hermione was trying to stop the blood flowing from her forearm.

Ron was fighting furiously against the dog. He was being dragged through a gap in the roots, and slowly and gradually, he started disappearing through the roots. First his legs, then his waist, then his torso, and finally, his head. The dog was gone after him.

"Ron!" Harry shouted. The five of us tried to follow, but the Whomping Willow thought it was a nice time to attack us again, this time whipping me in the face. Warm blood flew from my forehead right down to my shirt. What a very considerate tree. _Not. _

We all landed on our backs again, fresh cuts on our body. We bounded up, and looked back at where Ron had disappeared. I was wrong. He hadn't fully disappeared. Ron managed to hook his foot around a root. But, a moment later, there was a loud _crack__! _and Ron let out a horrible scream.

His foot was broken. He was gone from sight.

"We need to get help!" Hermione demanded. "We can't just leave him!"

"There isn't time!" I snapped. "The Hound from Hell is big enough to eat Ron! There's no time to get help!"

"We're not going to get through there without help!" Hermione shrieked.

"We need to try!" I shouted. This was the biggest fight we've ever had.

Another branch swung down on us before Hermione could shout back. Iggy, sensing something bad was going to happen, said, "Look, if that dog can get through, so can we."

Fang, without a word, started jumping and hopping around, trying to get close enough to the tree roots without being hit. But, just when I thought he was going to get through, a branch flew out of no where, and hit him right on the neck. It opened a deep cut. Blood started flowing from Fang's neck, onto his robes. He jumped back to us, trying to put pressure on the wound without putting to much pressure on his foot.

"Oh, help, help, help," Hermione started whispering anxiously, dancing from foot to foot.

Crookshanks, who we haven't payed any attention to since Ron got attacked, darted forward to the tree. He slithered between the branches and placed his paw on the knot on the trunk of the tree. Immediately, the Whomping Willow stopped fighting back. Not even a leaf twitched.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione gasped. "How did you know to do that?" She grasped my arm, forgetting about our little fight earlier. It wasn't even a real fight, but I still felt bad about it.

"He's friend with the dog," Harry said. "I've seen them together. Come on, we need to move."

We moved towards the trunk of the tree, cautious in case it decided to try and kill us again. Crookshanks slid in past the trunk and out of sight. Harry followed, going in head first. Fang went after him, then Iggy, then Hermione. I went last.

Crookshanks was leading the way, his eyes flashing bright in the light from Harry's wand. The rest of us pulled our wands and lit them too.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione whimpered.

"I could be wrong, but I'm guessing they went this way," I said sarcastically, pointing to the only way forward. Hermione didn't seem to understand the sarcasm though. She just nodded, looking terrified. We started walking, not really knowing where we were going. After a few minutes, Iggy voiced aloud what we were all thinking. "Where does this tunnel lead to?"

"No idea. I'm sure we're going to figure it out eventually," I said, wincing as I banged my head off the ceiling of the tunnel. _Note to self: Don't straighten up in tunnels!_

"It's marked on the Marauder's Map," Harry said. "But Fred and George said not to use it. It goes straight off the edge of the map, but looks like it's heading to Hogsmeade." We didn't say much after that. I was trying to keep all my energy in case there was a fight on the way. That's what Jeb always told us. Be prepared for a fight, no matter what.

We moved as fast as we could through the tunnel. Every now and then we could see Crookshanks up ahead of us. The passage seemed to go on and on forever. Harry and Hermione were breathless, holding stitches in their sides, their breath coming in fast and sharp. Finally, after what felt like a freaking year, the tunnel began to rise up. I became aware that my wings were sticking painfully close to my back. I tried spreading them out slightly but there wasn't space in the tunnel.

A few moments later, the tunnel twisted and Crookshanks was gone. Ahead, there was a patch of dim light through an opening.

We paused, and let Harry and Hermione catch their breath, but we were still edging forward. The five of us raised our wands towards the opening.

It was a room. A very dirty, neglected and disordered room. The wallpaper was peeling down the walls; the floor was covered in stains; every single piece of furniture was broken to pieces. The windows were all boarded up.

Harry stared back at us. We all nodded and started pulling ourselves from the tunnel.

The room was deserted, but there was a door leading off to a shadowy corridor. I looked around the room, at the walls, the windows that were all boarded up... And it came to me. I knew where we were.

"Guys...We're in the Shrieking Shack," I said.

They all looked around. Fang's eyes landed on a chair in the corner, that had all the legs ripped off it, and large chunks had been ripped from it. "Ghosts can't do that," he muttered slowly. Before we could say anything else, there was a creak overhead. Something was moving upstairs. The five of us looked at the ceiling, as if expecting it to fall in on top of us.

Quietly as we could, we walked down the shadowy corridor and up the creaky staircase. Every single thing was covered in a thick layer of dust, apart from on the stairs where there was a shiny line running up, from someone being dragged up.

I really hope Ron was alright.

We reached a dark corridor. It gave me the total creeps. Together, we whispered, "_Nox,"_ and the light from our wands went out. Only one of the doors were opened, so we crept towards it. There was movement from inside, and a low moan followed by loud purring. We exchanged a look, and I held up my hand, holding up three fingers. The flocks signal for `I'm going in first. Cover me'. No one objected, although I'm pretty sure Harry and Hermione had no idea what it meant.

Wand held out in front of me, I kicked the door open. In front of me was a huge- and I mean _huge!- _four-poster bed. Lying on the bed, purring happily, was Crookshanks. On the floor, holding his leg, was Ron.

The others followed me, and we raced over to Ron. "Are you alright?" we asked.

"Where's the dog?" Harry asked.

"Not a dog," Ron grimaced, his teeth gritted with pain, and his jaw locked. "It's a trap."

"What?"

"He's the dog. He's an Animagus."

Ron was staring over our shoulders, eyes wide. We whirled around. With a snap, the man hiding in the shadows shut the door.

The filthy, matted hair hung limp on his shoulders. His startling grey eyes were shining out of the deep, dark sockets. His skin was so waxy and tight, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth bared in a grin.

Sirius Black.

_"Expelliarmus!" _he croaked, using Ron's wand.

Our wands shot from our hands, arced through the air and Black caught them. He stepped closer to us.

Now that I was seeing him in person, I knew that I had seen him before. He just looked _so familiar!_ But I couldn't remember where I've seen him. It was the eyes that made it clear to me that I knew him. I frowned, searching through all my memories to see if I could remember.

"I knew you would try to save your friend," Black said, eyes trained directly at Harry. His voice sounded like he had forgotten how to use it. "Your father would of done the exact same for me. Smart of you not to run for a teacher. I have to say, I'm grateful. It will surely make everything much easier."

The anger and hatred I felt towards Sirius Black was mounting, and making my blood sing. I wanted to punch the grin right off his face, ignore the nagging feeling in my gut that I knew him from somewhere, and just hurt him.

Beside me, Harry started walking forward, a murderous look in his face. I darted forward and grabbed his arm. "No, Harry!" I said, trying to drag him back. Black looked at me, and he frowned. Something flickered in his eyes, but he didn't say anything to me.

Ron stood up beside me, trying to pull Harry back as well. The effort of standing on his bad leg was obvious. His face went green, his lips bloodless, and he swayed where he stood as he spoke. "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too."

"Lie down," Black said. "Your leg will only get worse."

"Why would you care?" I said hotly. Black ignored me, but I still saw the strange look on his face when he looked at me. Did I look familiar to him too?

"Didn't you hear me?" Ron growled, looking like he was going to be sick. "Your going to have to kill all six of us!"

"There's only going to be one murder tonight," Black said, smiling more broadly.

"Why?" Harry spat. "Didn't really care before, did you? Didn't bother you when you killed all those Muggles, then Pettigrew... What happened? Did Azkaban make you go soft?"

"Harry," Hermione whispered, "Be quiet."

"HE MURDERED MY PARENTS!" Harry roared. With some effort he broke my hold on him, then lunged straight at Black.

Harry grabbed Black's wrist wit the wands in it, making the tips point away from them. Harry's other hand connected with Black's head, making them both fall over into the wall. Me and Hermione started screaming at Harry to back off, and the boy's were yelling at Harry too. One of the wands in Black's hand went off, emitting sparks that barely missed Harry's face. Harry was punching every part of Black he would find, trying to keep his hands away from him.

But one of Black's hands came free, and found Harry's throat, chocking him. I was screaming louder, most of it curses and insults at Black. Harry was chocking, and I barely heard Black saying, "No. I've waited too long."

Without thinking, I raced forward, dodging Fang's hands as they tried to hold me back. I ran over to Harry and Black, and quickly kicked Black hard in the ribs. He gave a grunt of pain, his grip on Harry relaxing enough for him to break free. I grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him up to his feet. Iggy had thrown himself at Black's wand hand, making all the wands roll across the floor.

Harry fought free of my hold and bounded forward to grab his own wand that was rolling across the room. I saw that my own was pretty close to Black. I bolted forward and grabbed it, but Black's hand reached out and grabbed my ankle. I feel on the floor in front of him, hitting the cut on my forehead against the ground. I winced, and looked up at Black. I couldn't tell what was going through his mind. He had such a conflicting, strange look on his face.

I jerked my ankle out of his hold and jumped to my feet, my wand in my hand. I looked behind me to see that Crookshanks had sunken his teeth into Harry's arm. Harry frantically waved his arm, and Crookshanks flew from his arm, but landed right in front of Harry's wand. "NO YOU DON'T!" Harry yelled, jumping to get his wand before Crookshanks got it. Harry grabbed his wand and turned around.

"Move!" Harry shouted, directing his wand right at Black. I hesitantly moved to the side, blood dripping down my face. Hermione stood beside me, gasping, her lip bleeding. Fang had a bruise forming near his nose, and Iggy was sporting a black eye. Ron wasn't any more injured, but he was paler then all of us, and I thought we were going to be saying hello to Ron's dinner pretty soon. He hobbled over to the bed and collapsed on it, panting and clutching his leg.

Black was lying on his back beside the wall, his thin chest rising and falling rapidly. "Going to kill me, Harry?" he asked. Harry was drawing closer and closer to Black, hsi wand pointed directly at his heart.

"You killed my parents," Harry said, his voice shaking.

Black sighed, and a true look of misery formed on his faded face. I'm guessing because everyone else was staring at Harry, I was the only one that noticed. I was probably the only person that noticed that Black's eyes kept flickering to me every few seconds.

"I'm not going to deny it," he said quietly. "But I think you need to know the whole story."

"Whole story?" Fang said, before Harry could. "The story is simple if you ask me. Once upon a time, there was a crazy guy that sold his best friends to Voldemort. The end."

That was the most I've heard Fang say in a while.

"You've got to listen to me," Black said, looking at Harry, but his eyes still flickering to me. There was a hint of urgency in his voice. "You don't know what really happened. You'll regret this, you know. You don't understand."

"We understand that your a backstabbing bast-" I started, but Hermione nudged me in the ribs. I looked at Black, and he was looking at me. There seemed to be something different in his eyes now. Something like humor. Or pride. But why would he be-

"I understand more then you think," Harry said. "You never had to hear her, did you? My mother...trying to stop Voldemort killing me. And you did that. You did it."

Before another word could be said, Crookshanks leaped forward and landed on Black's chest and settled right over Black's heart. Black blinked down at the cat. "Get off," he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him onto the floor. But the cat only sank his claws into his robes and wouldn't budge.

Harry raised his wand, getting ready to kill. The look in his eyes told me that he was prepared to kill not only Black, but Crookshanks as well. He was ready to kill anyone right at this minute.

The seconds went on and on, and all Harry did was stand there, frozen, with his wand pointed straight at Black's heart. All Black did was lie there, staring at Harry or me.

There came a new sound from downstairs.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione bellowed. "PLEASE! UP HERE! SIRIUS BLACK! QUICK!"

Black jumped, and Crookshanks nearly fell from his chest. Footsteps were thundering up the stairs.

The door to the room burst open in a shower of red sparks. I wheeled around to see Professor Lupin standing in the doorway, his wand raised in front of his pale, bloodless face. His eyes flickered to all of us, to Ron whimpering from pain on the pain, to Hermione cowering in the corner, to Fang standing in the middle of the room, looking angry, to Iggy by one of the boarded windows, holding his shoulder, then to me, covered in blood and probably looked mad and confused, and finally to Harry, standing hold a wand to Black's heart.

_"Expelliarmus!" _Lupin shouted, and Harry's wand flew from his hand. So did mine, and all the others. Lupin caught them all swiftly. Then he moved further into the room, and stared at Black, lying on the ground with a fluffy cat on his chest. Looking at it from Lupin's point of view, it would seem almost comical.

Lupin spoke in a tense voice, "Where is he, Sirius?"

I didn't have any clue as to what he was talking about. By the look on the others faces, they didn't either.

For a while, Black remained motionless. After a few seconds, Black raised his hand and pointed straight at Ron. Completely confused, I looked over at Ron, who looked just as confused as we all felt. "But then..." Lupin, looking back at Black. "Why hasn't he shown himself before? Unless..." Lupin's eyes widened. "Unless he was... Unless you switched without telling me?"

Slowly, without looking away from Lupin's face, Black nodded.

"Sir, what's going on?" I asked. I tried to ignore Black staring at me tensely. But Lupin never answered me. Instead of giving me an answer, he started lowering his wand slowly. He walked over to Black's side, grabbed his hand, and just when I was hoping he was going to punch the sense out of the Black, Lupin helped him to his feet, making Crookshanks fall to the floor with a hiss.

Then Lupin hugged Black like they were brothers.

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!" Hermione shrieked. Lupin let go of Black and turned to look at her. "You-you-" Hermione stammered.

"Hermione, calm down-"

"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione yelled. "I've been covering up for you! Even when Max," she pointed at me, and I saw Black staring at me with a new, strange kind of intensity. "Starting getting suspicious, I never said anything! She figured it out, but wasn't sure, and I never said anything!"

"Hermione, listen to me, please," Lupin said, looking tired and extremely older then he really was. I could feel myself shaking with anger, but for the first time ever, I didn't know what to do.

"I trusted you!" Iggy suddenly shouted from behind me. "I trusted you. I thought you were brilliant! But all this time... you've been his friend!" I've never, ever heard Iggy sound so mean, or threatening.

"Your wrong, Iggy," Lupin said. "I haven't been Sirius' friend, but I am now. Just let me explain-"

"NO!" Hermione screeched. "Don't trust time, Harry! He's been helping Black into the castle! He wants you dead too- he's a werewolf!"

There was a ringing silence. Everyone was staring at Lupin.

Without thinking, I shouted, "I knew you were a werewolf! I was right!"

No one payed any attention to me. How rude.

"Not up to your usual standards, Hermione," Lupin said, remarkably calm. "Only one out of three. I have not been helping Sirius into the castle. I don't want Harry dead. But, yes, I am a werewolf. How long have you known?" he asked, directed at me and Hermione.

"Since Professor Snape set that essay," Hermione said, her voice shaky.

"After you agreed to give us the Patronus lessons," I said.

"I'm impressed. Did you check the lunar chart, and figure out that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you notice that my Boggart is a full moon?"

"Both," Hermione whispered.

"The full moon thing," I answered. I was getting a bit dizzy from all the blood I was losing from the wound on my forehead. Lupin seemed to notice, and he stepped closer to me, as if trying to help. I flinched back away from him, and he stopped dead. The look on his face made me feel guilty, but when I saw Black staring at me, then Lupin, then me, I knew I was right.

"Why do you keep doing that?" I asked Black. He seemed surprised that I was talking to him. "Doing what?" he said.

"Staring at me. Like I'm not even real," I said.

Lupin gave Black a stern look, but a real smile was flickering across Black's lips.

"Because, I still can't believe that you are real," Black said.

"Okay..." I said slowly. "I'm really crept out right now."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Black said. "I just mean, I thought you were dead!" Lupin was shaking his head at Black, trying to make him shut up.

"What?" I asked.

"Look, Max, right?" Black said. I nodded, not knowing where this was going.

"Sirius! Stop!" Lupin said.

"No, Remus. She has the right to know!" Black said.

"I'm still here, you know? What should I know?" I snapped, getting impatient.

"Max...Do you know anything about your family?" Black asked, hesitant.

"I know Voldemort killed my mom. That's it," I said, a slight edge to my voice. I haven't told the others this, so they were staring at me with wide eyes.

"Nothing of your father?" he asked. I shook my head. "Why?" I said hotly.

"Because... he's right here," Black said, looking strangely uncomfortable and frightened.

"What?" I whispered.

"Max. Your my daughter."

* * *

><p><em><strong>TA DA! Hope the chapter was good! Sorry if the ending was bad, I'm really tired and I've been doing this all day. <strong>_

_**Max found her daddy! yay! haha i hope everyone was happy with the chapter! This is the longest chapter I've ever done... over 5000 words! :D**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews! Like always, cookies and butterbeer for everyone who reviews so...**_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**Love you!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_


	25. The Marauders

**_AUTHORS NOTE!_**

**_Hello! Sorry for the wait on the chapter, but I've been really busy with stuff, and homework, and helping my friend with his girlfriend problems..._**

**_Anyway, we're nearly at 250 reviews! Can we get 250 before next week? _**

**_Annie Bell: I appreciate the review. Also, I know blood doesn't sing, it's just a figure of speech. They even use it in the Maximum Ride books. Well, in the first one anyway. And Black was looking at Max the whole time because she's his daughter that he's never even spoken to before. Also, I know that I put too much attention on Max, but it's not as bad as before, right? And Max is going to get a lot of attention in the other books, but the others will get more too. And I'll try and fix the grammar mistakes. But, my friend got a Beta reader, and told me not to get one, because they take forever to get back to you! _**

**_Anyway, sorry for the rant, just answering the review. Thanks, and I appreciate it. _**

**_Bethzilla: I know! My laptop is messing up my sentences! Sorry!_**

**_jdr Ride: yeah Remus always knew. From when he first saw Max on the train, remember? He knew that she was his goddaughter, and Grace and Sirius' daughter. _**

**_teenbooks4eva:...why?_**

**_Quail Sandwich: Really? Damn, I was trying to avoid that... oh well :p_**

**_And thanks to everyone that reviewed! Love you guys! _**

**_And without further ado, here is the chapter!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

* * *

><p><em>Previously...<em>

_"Max...Do you know anything about your family?" Black asked, hesitant._

_"I know Voldemort killed my mom. That's it," I said, a slight edge to my voice. I haven't told the others this, so they were staring at me with wide eyes._

_"Nothing of your father?" he asked. I shook my head. "Why?" I said hotly._

_"Because... he's right here," Black said, looking strangely uncomfortable and frightened._

_"What?" I whispered._

_"Max. Your my daughter."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Max's POV<em>**

I felt like I couldn't breathe. I felt lightheaded, my chest tight. I was conscious of everyone in the room looking at me. I took a deep, shuddering breath, and managed to chock out, "Why would you say something like that?" Because it couldn't be true. There is no way that I was his... I couldn't even say it!

Black gave me a strange look. "What?" he asked.

"Why would you make up something like that?" I asked. Finding parents was always a big dream of the flocks, and something of a sensitive issue.

"Why do you think I made it up?" Black asked.

I put a finger on my chin, faking thought and said, "Oh, well let me think. Your a murderer, after breaking out of prison, and trying to kill one of my best friends, and you nearly killed another ten minutes ago. Why would I ever believe anything you say?" I snapped. Lupin stepped forward and said, "Max, Sirius is telling the truth. He really is your father. And-" he looked back at Black, then back to all of us. "I'm your godfather. Just like Sirius is Harry's godfather."

I closed my eyes, and started taking deep breaths. This was all some sick, twisted joke... It had to be! I opened my eyes again, and looked at Black. Well, it had to be a joke! I don't even slightly look like Black! I voiced this aloud. "I can't be related to you! I don't look like you at all!" A sad look crossed Black's face, but he grinned anyway. "You got all your looks from your mother," Black said.

I could practically feel my heart breaking in half. None of this could be true... But could it? I thought back to Fudge, and all the Professors, had said, back in the Three Broomsticks before Christmas. They said she was taken shortly after she was born, and presumed dead...

"Do you have any proof?" Fang asked, coming up to stand close to me. His presence beside me make me feel more relaxed, and comfortable.

"Would I really need much?" Black snarled. "If she just thought about it, she'd know I was right!"

"And what if we don't want her to know? What if you really are making this up, and you want her dead as well as Harry?" Iggy growled.

"I don't want her dead!" Black yelled. "I've spent the last thirteen years thinking she was, I'm not going to kill her!"

"When's my birthday?" I whispered so quietly that I doubt anyone heard me. You see, none of the flock knew their real birthdays. Except for me. When I was eight years old, still stuck in the hell-hole known as the School, I managed to see my files. There was no names under parents, nothing about where I was born, but the one thing that was there was my birthday. I remembered it, but never told the flock that I knew. We tell each other everything, and this was one thing I wanted to keep to myself. So when we were all choosing our birthdays, I picked my real one. No one suspected anything. Although, I'm not sure if Jeb knew.

Without hesitation, Black said, "July fifteenth. Half five in the afternoon to be exact." I was taken aback. He was right. That was my birthday. "Then what happened?" I asked.

"After you were born, you were so tiny, we weren't even allowed to touch you. They took you away. But, they brought you back late at night, just before me and your mother feel asleep. We still weren't allowed to touch you, though. When we woke up, you were gone. No one saw a thing. And we never saw you again," Black explained.

That's when I saw it. Me and Black had the same shape lips, the same curve in our noses. The same cheekbones._ It's true, _I thought. _Sirius Black is my father. _

"You believe him?" Harry yelled. "Maybe. But just because he's my father doesn't change what he did to your parents, or the other innocent people. He's still a murderer!" I barked. That also meant that I was English, not American like I always thought.

Some identity crisis I was having today.

"If you'll all just listen!" Lupin roared. We stared at him. Hermione was visibly shaking, and staring between me and Black. Fang was still beside me, looking furious, Iggy looked confused and angry, Ron looked surprised and in pain, and Harry was looking confused, angry, and betrayed all in one. Me? I just felt completely numb. All my life, I imagined loving parents that would love me, and care for me, even with the fact that I was a mutant freak. Now, I find out my mother is _dead _and my father is a _murderer,_ and my godfather was a _werewolf!_What a lovely family! NOT!

Lupin stepped the room, giving everyone back their wands.

"There," he said, after giving Iggy his wand. He calmly walked back to where he was standing beside Black, putting his wand into his pocket. I refuse to call him dad. That will never happen. "Now your all armed, and we're not. Will you listen to us now?"

I couldn't tell whether or not this was meant to be a trick.

"If you weren't helping him," Harry said, pointing to Black, "Then how did you know where he was?"

"The Marauder's Map," Lupin said simply. "I was in my office examining it, and-"

"Wait," Iggy said, "You know how to work the map?"

"Well of course I know how to work it! I helped write it! I'm Moony- that was my nickname back at school," Lupin said impatiently.

"You helped _write it-?" _Ron chocked, but was cut off from Lupin.

"The important thing is," Lupin snapped, getting quite irritated, "I was watching it in my office, because I just knew the six of you-" he waved lazily towards me, Fang, Iggy, Ron, Hermione and Harry, "Would try and sneak away to Hagrid's. And I was right, wasn't I?"

"Well, no one likes a smart pants," I said. Sadly, I was ignored. People these days, there so rude!

Lupin started pacing up and down the room. Little puffs of dust rose up around his feet with every step. "I thought you might be wearing your father's Cloak, Harry-"

"How'd you know about the Cloak?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"The number of times I watched James going under that Cloak," Lupin said, looking distant. He waved his hand again, looking even more agitated. "The point is, even though you were wearing the Invisibility Cloak, you appeared on the map. I watched you walk through the grounds, and enter Hagrid's hut. Around twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid's hut and headed back towards the castle. But, the six of you were accompanied by someone else."

"No we weren't," Fang snarled defensively.

"I didn't believe it myself, Fang," Lupin said. "I thought the map was malfunctioning. I just couldn't understand how he could be with you."

"Yeah, but no one was with us!" Harry said.

"Then I watched as another dot, labeled Sirius Black, came running towards you. Saw him reach you, collide with you and take the two of you into the Whomping Willow..."Lupin said, ignoring everything around him completely.

"One of us!" Ron yelled from the corner.

"Can you count?" Iggy asked, "Black only took Ron. That's one person. _One!"_

"Oh, no," Lupin said. "Two of you."

Finally, Lupin stopped pacing, his eyes on Ron. "Do you think I could have a look at that rat?" he asked, moving towards Ron.

"What?" Ron asked. "What does Scabbers have to do with anything?" Lupin sighed deeply, then said, "Everything, Ron. He has everything to do with it."

Ron hesitated, but then pulled Scabbers out of his pocket. Scabbers was squealing, thrashing, desperately trying to escape. Ron held him by the end of his tail, and Lupin stood there, staring at him. He seemed to be holding his breath, as if waiting for something to happen.

"What?" Ron asked, looking both confused and frightened. He held Scabbers closer to him. "What does my rat have to do with all of this?"

"That's not a rat," Black croaked. I couldn't look him in the eyes. Not now. Probably not ever.

"Of course he's a rat! What else would he be?" Ron asked.

"He's not a rat, Ron," Lupin said quietly. "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," Black continued. "Called Peter Pettigrew."

There was just silence. A few minutes of silence for the statement to sink in. Ron was the first to get his voice back.

"Your both mental," he said, straight faced.

"That's absurd!" Hermione said faintly.

"Peter Pettigrew is dead," I said. "He killed him years ago!" I pointed at Black, disgust and hatred plain on my face.

"I meant to," he said, his teeth bared. "But Peter got the better of me! Not this time though!"

Black lunged forward at Scabbers. Ron screamed in pain as Black put his weight on his broken leg.

"Sirius! NO!" Lupin yelled, leaping forward and grabbing Black by the arms. He dragged his back away from Ron. "WAIT! You need to wait! You can't just do it like that. They have the right to understand. We've got to explain."

"There's plenty time to explain afterwards!" Black roared, trying to throw Lupin off him. "They-have-a-right-to-know-everything!" Lupin gasped, trying to restrain Black. "Listen to me, Sirius, listen! Ron's kept him as a pet! There are even some parts of this I don't understand! And think of Harry, Sirius. And Max. They should know the truth. I think Harry needs to know what really happened to his parents, and Max needs to know why she grew up without a father!"

Black stopped struggling, looking at me and Harry. "Where were you taken?" he asked me. "To hell," I spat. He looked like he was going to question me, but Lupin snapped, "There isn't time, Sirius!"

Black fixed his eyes on Scabbers, then turned to Lupin. "Fine," he said. "Tell them whatever you want. But be quick about it, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for."

"The both of you are nutters. First, your trying to get us to believe that Black is Max's father, now your telling us that a rat is a real person!" Iggy said, his eyebrows raised. Ron was looking panicky, and he said, "That's it. I've had enough. I'm off." He tried standing up on his good leg. But Lupin pulled out his wand and pointed it at Ron. I pulled out my own and pointed it at Lupin.

"Your going to hear me out, Ron," Lupin said very quietly, oblivious to the fact I was pointing my wand at him. "You just keep a good hold on Peter while your listening."

"HIS NAME IS SCABBERS, NOT PETER!" Ron shouted. He tried to force Scabbers back into his pocket, but he was fighting too hard. Ron swayed, then was about to fall over. Iggy rushed over to him and caught him just in time. He pulled Ron to the bed, and forced him to sit down. I nodded at Iggy, silently telling him to stay beside Ron. He nodded back to me.

Harry looked at Lupin and said, "There were people that saw Black kill Pettigrew. An entire street of people."

"They didn't see what they thought they saw," Black said meanly. "Everyone thought that Sirius killed Pettigrew. I thought so as well, until I saw him on the map," Lupin said, nodding. "And the Marauders Map never lies. Peter is alive, and Ron is holding him."

The six of us shared a look, and as our eyes met, we all agreed silently. These two were completely crazy. This story made absolutely no sense. Maybe, hopefully, Black wasn't even my father.

Hermione spoke in a trembling, frightened voice. "But, Professor Lupin... There's no way that Scabbers could be Pettigrew. It just can't be true. You know that."

"And why can't it be true?" Lupin asked calmly, as if we were in class. "Because people would of known if Pettigrew was an Animagus. We had a class about Animagi with McGonagall. I looked them up for my homework. The Ministry keeps tabs on the wizards and witches who came become animals; there's a register that shows what animal they can become, and their markings and things. I went and looked up Professor McGonagall on the register, and there are only seven Animagi in this country and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list-"

I couldn't even start thinking about the amount of effort Hermione put into her homework before Lupin laughed, "Right again Hermione!" he said. "But the Ministry of Magic never knew that there was once three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"Remus, if your telling them the story, get on with it!" Black snapped from the corner in the room. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not waiting any longer!"

"Alright Sirius," Lupin said, "But you'll have to help me. I don't know the whole story. I just know how it began..." He trailed off, looking at the open door. There was a loud creak from behind him. The eight of us stared at it. Lupin walked slowly towards the door, then looked out into the landing. "No one there..." he muttered, walking back in.

"This place is haunted!" Ron said.

"No it's not," Lupin said, taking his place back in the center of the room, but still staring at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted. The screams, howls and bangs the villagers used to hear was me." He stopped for a minute, staring each of us in the face.

"I guess I should start there," he continued, starting to pace again. "None of this would of happened if I hadn't been bitten. And if I wasn't so foolhardy." He suddenly looked very grave and tired. Iggy was about to interrupt, but Hermione hissed, "Shh!" She was staring at Lupin intently. "I was a very small boy when I was bitten. My parents tried everything they could, but there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making me is a very recent discovery. As long as I take it the week preceding the full moon, I am completely safe when I transform. I keep my mind. I am just able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, then wait for the sun to rise again.

"Before the Wolfsbane Potion was created, I became a monster every month. My parents feared that I wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts. Other parents wouldn't like their children being exposed to someone like me. But then, Dumbledore became Headmaster and he was sympathetic. He said that if I followed certain precautions, I would be able to go to Hogwarts..." Lupin sighed heavily, then looked at Harry, Fang, Iggy and me.

"I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is, it was planted because I had to come to Hogwarts. This house-" Lupin waved miserably around the room, looking bitter- "and the tunnel, was built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle and brought here to transform. The tree was made to prevent anyone from entering while I was dangerous."

I had no idea where this story was going, but I was listening intensely. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers squeaking and Ron's occasional groan of pain.

"My transformations back then were... well, they were terrible. It is very painful to transform into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite so I bit and scratched myself instead. When the villagers heard the screams, they thought they were hearing violent ghosts. Dumbledore encouraged the rumour- even now, although the house has been silent for years, they don't dare approach it.

"But apart from my transformations, I was happier then I ever was before in my life. For the first time in my life, I had real friends. Three, great friends. Sirius Black... Peter Pettigrew... and, of course, Harry's father, James Potter. Now, my friends could hardly fail to notice that I was disappearing once a month. I had to tell them all sorts of stories. I told them that my mother was ill and I had to go home and visit her... I was terrified that if they found out what I was, they would desert me. But of course, like Hermione and Max, they found it out eventually.

"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, the three of them did something for me that not only made my transformations more bearable and comfortable, but some of the best time of my life. They became Animagi."

"My dad too?" Harry asked, looking astounded.

"Of course," Lupin nodded. "It took them around three years to work out how to do it. Your father, and Sirius were the cleverest students in the school. And a lucky thing they were because the Animagus transformation could go horribly wrong- one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on the people trying to do it. Peter needed all the help James and Sirius could give him. Finally, in fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."

"How did that help you?" I asked, slightly confused.

"They weren't able to go with me while they were human, so they kept me company as animals. Werewolves are only threats to humans. Once a month, they'd sneak out of the castle under James's Invisibility Cloak, and transform. Peter, being the smallest, was able to slip under the attacking branches, press the knot that freezes the tree, then the three of them would run through the tunnel to join me. With them, I was more myself then even before. My body was still wolfish. but I was able to keep most of my own mind."

"Hurry up, Remus," Black snapped. I glared at him, feeling disgusted, but he never noticed. He was staring at Scabbers with a hungry expression. _Wow,_ I thought, _Rejected for a rat. Don't I feel important. _

"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there... With all four of us able to transform, we were open to new, exciting possibilities. We started leaving the Shrieking Shack, and started roaming around the Forbidden Forest, or the ground of the school, or go around the village at night. Probably no other Hogwarts student ever found out more about the grounds, or the castle, then we did. And that's how we came to make the Marauders Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot, Peter is Wormtail, and James was Prongs."

"What kind of animal-?" Harry started, but Hermione cut him off.

"Did you not realize how dangerous that was? Running around with a werewolf! In the _dark!_ What would of happened if you had given the others the slip, run off and bitten someone?"

"Believe me, Hermione that was something I thought about all the time, and still haunts me. There were a few close calls, but we laughed about them. We were young and foolish- carried away with everything we had accomplished," Lupin said. He frowned, then said, "And if I remember, there were a few times where my violent and vicious manner was useful. Sometimes, when we went into the forest, we would come across other werewolves- although, not like any I've seen. They seemed more human, and walked on their hind legs..." Lupin's frown deepened.

I shared a look with Fang and Iggy. Did Lupin really just describe the Erasers? It's impossible- were they even created back then? Now that I thought about it, I never knew when they started making Erasers. But, the School was all the way over in California! How could they get over here?

"Have you heard of werewolves like that?" Lupin asked, noticing our uncomfortable expressions. "Maybe," I said. "Did they ever... talk?" I asked, feeling stupid. Lupin frowned again, but it was Black that answered.

"Yes," he said. "They always talked. They thought we were just animals, nothing important. We'd fight them whenever we had to, and thankfully none of us got too seriously hurt."

"What did they say?" Iggy asked.

"Rubbish mostly." Black answered. "Taunted us. Treated us like we were stupid animals. Boy were they surprised when we attacked them back."

I looked at Fang and Iggy again, and the three of us nodded. Definitely sounded like Erasers. But what were they doing at Hogwarts? What were they doing in England?

"Do you three know what they were?" Lupin asked, giving us a knowing look, as if he knew they had something to do with our past in the School. Fang and Iggy looked at me, and after hesitating, I nodded.

"They're called Erasers. They're not real werewolves. Just human-lupine hybrids," I said.

"How do you know that?" Black asked.

"Is it any of you business?" I retorted icily. He looked insulted, but didn't say anything.

After a moments silence, Lupin said, "Anyway, I did feel guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust. He let me come to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would of done so, and I was breaking the rules and putting people in danger. He never knew that Sirius, James and Peter had become illegal Animagi. But, every time we would sit and discuss our next full moon adventures, I managed to forget my guilty feelings."

Lupin's face hardened, and when he spoke he sounded disgusted with himself. "This year, I've been battling with myself on whether or not I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I never did it. I was too cowardly. It would of meant that I had to admit what I did with his trust while I was a school, admitting that I was putting others in harms way for ym own selfish reasons. And Dumbledore's trust means everything to me. He was the one that accepted me to school as a boy, and the one that gave me a job when I was shunted away from everything in my adult life. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using Dark magic that Voldemort taught him, and being an Animagus had nothing to do with it.

"So, in a way, Snape's been right about me the whole time," Lupin finished, looking absolutely disgusted with himself.

"Snape?" Black asked, sounding completely off-guard. "What does he have to do with it?"

"He works here, Sirius. He's here," Lupin said. He lifted his head to look at the six of us. "Professor Snape was at school with us, in our year. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts post. He's been telling Dumbledore all year that I shouldn't be trusted. Of course, he had his reasons. Sirius here played a trick on his years ago, which nearly killed him. I was involved."

Black made a noise that almost sounded like a laugh.

"Served him right," he said. "Sneaking around, trying to find our what we were doing. Hoping to get us expelled."

"You just love trying to kill people, don't you?" I sneered nastily. Black look hurt, but before he could say anything, Lupin butted in, "Severus was very curious as to where we went every month. We didn't- we didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous of him, I think. Jealous of James's talent on the Quidditch field. Anyway, Severus saw me crossing the lawn towards the Whomping Willow with Madam Pomfrey one evening. Sirius thought it would of been- er, amusing, to tell Snape that if he prodded the knot on the tree, he would be able to follow me.

"And, of course he tried it. And if he had gone down, he would of met a fully grown werewolf- but, James, who heard what Sirius did, went after Snape and pulled him back, a great risk to his own life. Snape had seen me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden to tell anyone, and from then on, he knew what I was..." Lupin finished.

"So Snape doesn't like you, because he thinks you were part of the joke?" Harry asked.

"That's right," sneered a voice from behind Lupin.

Severus Snape was standing there, pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, pointing his wand at Lupin.

_**I am sooooo sorry it took me so long to finish this! But here it is! Hope it's good! **_

___**Thanks for all the reviews!**_

___**Free cookies and butterbeer to everyone that reviews, so...**_

___**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**Love you!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_


	26. Lord Voldemort's True Servant

_**Authors Note :P**_

_**This story is nearly at an end...**_

_**BUT!**_

_**I do have something planned for the end of the story, that will add a few more chapters. And it's completely Maximum Ride. No magic, or Hogwarts, or anything, in the last few chapters. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING BOUT IT!**_

_**Now to answer some reviews...**_

**_oOSmileOo, to be honest, I'm not sure. I will do my best to put a bit of Fax in somewhere, but it could make Max seem slutty, with Ethan, Harry and Fang. I don't know if there will, because that's in pretty much every other fanfic. I want mine to be different and unique. But I can try, if that's what people want :)_**

**_teenbooks4eve, haha sorry! im mean like that... expect more cliffhangers! muhahhaha!_**

**_AnnieBell, I never get mad at reviews that will help my writing :) I cried as well! it was really sad :( I'm not putting Max in the Tournament. But she will be involved... in a way... *shifty eyes...* Hahaha I loved writing that line! as you can tell, i was really hyper when I wrote that chapter! ahaa! I don't know what my favorite quote is.. I'll get back to you on that one... _**

**_Thanks for all the reviews! Love you guys!_**

**_Will we get 300 before this story is over? Please?_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Max's POV<em>**

Hermione screamed. Iggy jumped a foot in the air. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and my heart was hammering in my chest. Harry's green eyes were wide, seeming to give off a small tiny light.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," Snape sneered, throwing the Cloak to the ground, carefully keeping his wand straight at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you."

"You had no right to take it! Now it's covered in your greasyness!" I said, only realizing that greasyness wasn't a word until after it left my mouth. Oh well, we were never educated until we were eleven. That's a good enough excuse.

"Ride, do you ever keep that stupid mouth of your shut? Or are you so self-centered that it gives you happiness to hear your own voice?" Snape snapped. I glared at him, and flipped him the bird. Do you get it? The bird? We're- oh, never mind!

"Don't talk to her like that!" Black growled, about to leap at Snape, but Lupin held him back.

"Oh, so it's true? She really is your daughter? Can't say I'm surprised, she inherited your entire attitude and personality," Snape said, curling his lip. Black smiled mockingly, then turned to me. "That's my girl," he said proudly. I scowled at him, giving my best death glare, "I'm not your anything," I retorted, hoping my disgust was obvious.

Snape looked strangely triumphed. "Oh, how I wished Grace Collins could be here to see her own daughter act his way to her father. To see her freak daughter, and murderer boyfriend," he growled. Black actually looked like he was going to rip out Snape's throat. If he went to, I'd help him. The flock were always self-conscious about being mutant freaks, and to have a teacher calling me one, in front of everyone, made my blood boil. But Lupin jumped in before Black could kill Snape.

"How did you know where we were, Severus?" he asked in a normal voice, not as if there was an evil dumbass pointing his wand at him, ready to kill at a seconds notice. Not like that at all. Some people are so strange...

"I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a goblet of it with me. Luckily for me, there was a map lying on your desk. One look at it, and I knew everything I needed to know. I saw you running down this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus..." Lupin started, but Snape cut him off. Honestly, some people are so rude.

"I've been telling the Headmaster your helping Black into the castle, and now here's the proof! Not even I thought you'd have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout-"

"Severus, you making a mistake!" Lupin said urgently. "You haven't heard everything! Let me explain. Sirius isn't here to kill Harry-"

"Two more for Azkaban tonight, I think," Snape went on like there was no interruption. "I'm quite interested as to how Dumbledore shall take this. He was quite convinced you were harmless, Lupin. You know, a tame werewolf..."

"We thought that too," I said.

"Didn't I tell you to keep you mouth shut!" Snape yelled.

"Since when did I listen to you, anyway?" I said, sounding bored.

"Max, that's enough!" Lupin shouted, then turned back to Snape before I could said something else. "You fool," he said. "Your honestly going to let a schoolboy grudge put an innocent man into jail?"

BANG!

Thin, snakelike ropes burst from Snape's wand and wrapped themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrist and ankles; he overbalanced, and fell to the ground, unable to move a muscle. With a roar of rage, Black lunged toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand right between Black's eyes. "Give me a reason," he whispered, "Give me a reason, and I'll swear I'll do it."

Black looked at me out of the corner of his eyes, but didn't say anything. Snape laughed a high, cold laugh. "Are you serious, Black? Your daughter? The daughter that hates you? The one you've never even spoken to properly? That's not a good enough reason!"

It was impossible to tell which face showed more hatred.

The six of us shared a look. Who were we meant to believe? Ron was still struggling with Scabbers, but looking confused. Fang was looking angry, but other then that, he was the same emotionless person I grew up with. Iggy looked confused, and was glaring at Snape. Harry looked confused and angry. Hermione, however, stepped forward. "Professor Snape, would- would it not hurt to hear what they had to say?" she said.

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension," Snape spat. "You, Potter, Ride, Weasley, Griffiths, and Martinez are out of bounds, in the company of a werewolf, and a convicted murderer. For once in your life, hold your tongue!"

"But-if- there could of been a mistake-"

"BE QUIET YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape bellowed, looking crazy. "DON'T TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

"We understand a bit more then you do," Iggy said boldly. "And Hermione is smarter then everyone in this room! Including you!"

"Griffiths, if you do not keep quiet I'll-"

"You'll what?" I said, sick of Snape. I just wished I could rip his spine from his body and beat him with it. "You have no power here. Like you said, we're out of bounds. Here, your just an ugly, stupid, pathetic man!" I shouted the last sentence, not caring about anything any more. Snape had crossed the line ages ago, and now he was getting what he deserved.

"MISS RIDE, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" Snape yelled. "You are arrogant, rude, no respect for others-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, tell me something I don't know," I said.

Red sparks flew from the end of Snape's wand, and his hand twitched as if he wanted to point it at me instead. But Black reached out and grabbed his hand and growled, "If you touch her, you'll regret the day you were born." Then as if realizing he was touching Snape, he threw his hand back to his side as if something had burnt him. There was read anger in Black's eyes, but also something else... _Misery, _I thought. _He's absolutely miserable. But why would a serial killer be miserable? Wouldn't he be happy? Or maybe he's not a killer..._

_** Well done, Max,**_the Voice said. _**Your thinking of the bigger picture.**_

_ Jeezum, this is starting to confuse me, _I thought. _**Not all things can be simple, Max. **_the Voice said.

_ Well, things would be easier if this were simple! _Then get this... The Voice didn't reply! Shocker!

"Revenge is sweet," Snape snarled, as if forgetting all about the last few minutes. "How I hoped to be the one that caught you..."

"Once again, the jokes on you, Severus," Black said. "As long as the boy brings his rat up to the castle -" he quickly jerked his head towards Ron- "I'll come quietly."

"Up to the castle?" Snape said silkily. "I don't even think we're going to get that far. All I need to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. I'm sure they'll be pleased to see you again. So pleased that they'll give you a- shall we say, a kiss?"

What little color was left in Black's face slowly drained. I got an acing feeling in my chest thinking about Black getting the kiss. He was still my father after all.

"Y-you've got to h-hear me out!" he croaked. "The rat! L-look at the rat!"

But there was still a mad glint in Snape's eyes. He seemed to be beyond reason.

"Come on," Snape snapped. "All of you." he snapped his fingers and the ends of the ropes around Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf," he said. "Maybe the Dementors will have a kiss for him too."

Without warning, Harry had walked over to the doorway and blocked the way out. I grinned at him.

"Get out of the way, Potter," Snape growled. "Your in enough trouble already. If I hadn't been here to save you-"

"Professor Lupin had about a hundred chances to kill me this year," Harry said, still blocking the doorway. "I've been alone with him loads, having defense lessons against Dementors. He was alone with all of us," he said, pointing to me, Fang and Iggy. "If he was helping Black, why didn't he kill me then, or them?"

"Don't ask me to tell you how a werewolf mind works, Potter!" Snape sneered. "Get out of the way!"

"YOUR PATHETIC!" Harry suddenly shouted. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE YOU LOOK LIKE A FOOL WHEN YOU WERE AT SCHOOL! YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN-"

"SILENCE!" Snape yelled. "I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape looked completely insane. "Like father, like son, Potter. I just saved your life; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you were mistaken in Black- now get out of the way, before I make you! GET OUT OF THE WAY POTTER!"

Without thinking, I raised my wand at Snape. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the others do the same.

"_Expelliarmus!" _I shouted- except I wasn't the only voice. There was a huge blast that made the floor shake under my feet. Snape was lifted off his feet, and went head first into the wall, then slid down to the floor, blood oozing from his forehead. He was out cold.

About time.

I looked around. Harry, Ron, Iggy, Hermione and Fang all had their wands pointed at Snape. The six of us all tried to disarm Snape at the same moment. Snape's wand had flown from his hand to the bed beside Crookshanks.

I seriously tried not to laugh. I did. But the `freak' comment was still ringing in my ears.

"You shouldn't of done that," Black said, looking at us. "You should of left it to me..."

I avoided looking Black in the eyes. I'm still not sure what to think about any of what's happening just yet.

"We attacked a teacher," Hermione was whispering anxiously. "We attacked a teacher... We are in so much trouble..."

Lupin was still struggling against the ropes. Black bent forward and untied him. Lupin straightened up, rubbing his wrists where the rope cut him.

"Thank you, Harry," Lupin said. Oh, yeah, because the rest of us just sat around talking about the weather. Jeezum, thanks Professor, really feeling appreciated.

"I'm not saying I believe you," Harry said. I nodded, as did the others.

_**It's time you believed what you saw, rather then what you hear, Max, **_the Voice said. I frowned, wondering what I should do with that.

"Then I believe it's time we offered you some proof," Lupin said. "Took your time to figure that out," I said cheekily. Lupin just stared at me, but didn't say anything. He walked over to Ron. "Ron, give me Peter, please. Now."

Ron just clutched Scabbers closer to his chest. "Come off it," Ron said. "Are you saying that nutter broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands of Scabbers? I mean-" he looked around at us for support. "Okay, say if Pettigrew could turn into a rat- there are millions of rats- how are you meant to know which rat is Pettigrew if you've been locked up in Azkaban?"

"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," Lupin said, frowning at Black. "How did you know where he was?"

Black reached into his robes and pulled outa crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed out and held it out to show us.

It was the picture from the Daily Prophet of the Weasley's and the flock in Egypt from the previous summer. And on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.

"How the hell did you get this?" I asked, thunderstruck. "Fudge," Black answered. "When he was inspecting Azkaban last year, he gave me the paper. And there was Peter, on the front page, on the boy's shoulder. With Max. I knew him at once. How many times had I seem him transform? And the caption said the boy was going back to Hogwarts... To where Harry and Max was."

"Oh, God..." Lupin gasped, looking at the picture, then to the real Scabbers. "His front paw..."

"What about it?" Ron said.

"He's got a missing toe..." Black said slowly.

"Of course..." Lupin breathed. "Its so simple and brilliant... he cut it off himself?"

"Just before he transformed," Black said, looking revolted. "I cornered him, but he started yelling for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then before I could curse him, he blew up the street with the wand behind his back, killing everyone within twenty feet of him- then ran down into the sewer with the other rats."

"Did you not hear, Ron?" Lupin said. "The biggest part of Pettigrew they found was his finger."

"Look, Scabbers probably only just got into a fight with another rat or something!" Ron said, looking desperate. "He's been in my family for-"

"Twelve years?" Lupin said. Ron nodded slowly. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living for so long?"

"We- we've been taking really good care of him!" Ron said.

"Not looking too good now, though is he?" Lupin said. "I'd guess he started losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again.£

"He's been scared of that stupid cat!" Ron shouted, pointing to Crookshanks. But that wasn't right, I thought. Scabbers was looking sick before Hermione bought Crookshanks... since we came back from Egypt... Since Black escaped...

"This cat isn't mad," Black said, "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He knew what Peter was from the first moment he saw him. And when he met me, he knew that I wasn't a real dog. It did take a while for him to trust me. Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I wanted , so he's been helping me."

"What do you mean?" Hermione breathed.

"He tried stealing Peter for me, but when that didn't work, he stole the passwords to Gryffindor tower, and gave them to me. As I understand it, he took it from a boy's bedside table..."

My brain was ready to explode from all this new information. First, I learn I have a father, second I learn that he may or may not be evil, and third I learn that Ron's rat may be the reason Harry's parents are dead.

"But Peter figured out what was happening and ran for it. This cat- Crookshanks, you called him- told me that Peter left blood on the sheets. I suppose I bit himself. Well, faking his own death had already worked before..."

Hearing this seemed to jolt Harry back to his senses. "And why would he fake his death? Because he knew you were going to kill him, like you killed my parents!"

"No, Harry," Lupin said. "You've got to-"

"And now you've come to finish him off!"

"Yes, I have," Black said with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Then I should of let Snape take you!" Harry yelled.

"Harry," Lupin said desperately, "don't you see? This whole time, we thought Sirius had betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down- but it was the other way around! Peter betrayed James and Lily. Sirius tracked Peter down-"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID HE KILLED THEM BEFORE YOU SHOWED UP!" Harry was pointing at Black, who started shacking his head sadly. His sunken, dead eyes suddenly filled with tears, and became strangely bright.

"Harry... I as good as killed them," he said, his voice thick. "I convinced James and Lily to change to Peter at the last minute, persuaded them to use him as their Secret-Keeper instead of me... It's my fault... The night they died, I was going to check on Peter, to make sure he was alright and still safe. But when I got to his hiding place, he was gone. But, there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right for me. So I went to your parents house, saw the house destroyed, their bodies... I knew then what Peter must of done. What I'd done." His voice broke. He turned away from us.

"Enough of this," Lupin said, looking as if he was trying not to cry, "There's only one way to prove this. Ron, give me that rat."

"What will you do to him?" Ron asked.

"Force him to show himself," Lupin said. "If he's really just a rat, it won't hurt him."

"And if it's Pettigrew? Will it hurt him?" I asked.

Lupin looked at me, but didn't say anything. That was all I needed to know.

Ron hesitated, but finally handed Scabbers over to Lupin. Scabbers began squeaking madly without stop, turning and twisting. "Ready, Sirius?" Lupin asked.

Black had already gotten Snape's wand from the bed. He went over to Lupin, his wet eyes trained on Scabbers. "Together?" he asked quietly.

"I think so," Lupin said, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand, and his wand in the other. "On the count of three...One...Two...Three!"

A flash of blue-white light filled the room, momentarily blinding me. When I blinked a few more times, I saw that Scabbers was frozen in mid-air, twisting madly, then fell to the floor. There was another blinding flash -seriously? More?- then...

A man was standing where Scabbers had fallen. He was small, fat, nearly bald, with small, watering eyes. He kept cringing and wringing his hands. He was breathing fast and shallow. One look at him, and I already felt loathing towards him.

"Hello, Peter," Lupin said calmly. "Long time no see."

"S-Sirius... R-Remus..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. It sounded like it could cut through glass. His eyes were darting towards the door every few seconds. "My old friends... my dear old friends..."

Anyone else getting a creepy vibe off this guy?

Black slowly started raising his wand, looking ready to kill, but Lupin grabbed his wrist, giving him a warning look. He turned back to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.

"We've been having a little chat about the night James and Lily died. Maybe you weren't able to hear over all the squeaking you were doing-"

"Remus," Pettigrew gasped, and I saw beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. Gross. "R-Remus, you d-don't believe him do you? He tried to kill me!"

"So we've heard," Lupin said coldly. "I'd like to clear some things up with you, Peter..." Pettigrew looked like he was going to pass out. What a weenie.

"He's come to try to kill again!" Pettigrew cried, looking ready to wet his pants. Was this guy seriously in Gryffindor? Where the brave dwell at heart? The Sorting Hat had some explaining to do.

Pettigrew was pointing at Black with a shaky hand. I saw that he had to use his middle finger, because there was no index finger there. "He killed Lily and James, and he tried to kill me too! I bet it was his fault that Grace is dead too! And their daughter!"

I coughed loudly, causing Pettigrew to jump violently. He turned to me, looking frightened and confused. "Talking about me? Jeez, I didn't I was dead," I said, rolling my eyes. In the middle of the room, I saw that Black looked ready to rip Pettigrew's head off.

"Your- your Sirius and Grace's daughter?" Pettigrew stammered. "Apparently," I snarled. "Well, your so beautiful! Just like Grace! So gorgeous," he said, and moved like he was going to come closer to me, or touch me, but Black jumped forward and pulled him back.

" If you touch her, or mention Grace again, I will kill you," Black growled threateningly.

Pettigrew stared at Lupin with wide, terrified eyes. "You've got to help me, Remus..." he whispered.

Black's face looked more skull like then ever before, his eyes wide in their sockets. The anger in his voice about Pettigrew touching me was real enough for the truth to finally settle in for me. Sirius Black was really my father.

But the question still remained. Was he an evil, killing, psychopath?

"No one will try to kill you until we find out a few things," Lupin said calmly. How ironic was that? The werewolf was the one keeping the peace. Well, there;s a first time for everything.

"Find out a few things?" Pettigrew squeaked, looking wildly around the room, and again looking at the door or at the boarded window. "I knew he was coming back for me! I've been waiting for twelve years!" Lupin frowned. "You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" he asked. "When no one else ever did before?"  
>"He's got Dark magic that we can only dream of!" Pettigrew shrieked shrilly. "How else was he meant to get out? I'm sure He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"<p>

Black started laughing, a high, cold, emotionless laugh. "Voldemort? Teach me treats?" he laughed.

Pettigrew flinched, looking absolutely terrified. This guy was seriously getting on my nerves.

"What? Are you scared to hear your old masters name?" Black sneered. "I don't really blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you now, are they?" he said, grinning. "I have no idea what you mean, Sirius-" Pettigrew said breathlessly.

"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years!" Black snapped. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's followers! I heard things in Azkaban, Peter. They all think your dead. Or else you'd have to answer to them. I've heard them screaming all kinds of things in their sleep. To me, it sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to James and Lily's house on your information, and thats where he met his downfall. Oh, and not all of Voldemort's followers are in Azkaban. There are plenty of followers out there, pretending they've seen the error of their ways...  
>"If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter."<p>

"Don't know...What your talking about..." Pettigrew was breathing faster and slower then ever before. His entire face was gleaming in sweat. He wiped his face with his sleeve, and looked up at Lupin. "You can't believe... Complete madness, Remus-"

"I do have trouble in understanding why an innocent man would spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin in a normal voice. "Innocent, but scared!" Pettigrew squealed. "The only reason Voldemort's supporters would be after me would be because I put one of there best spies into Azkaban- Sirius Black!"

Black's face contorted with anger. It was the same look I got when I was angry.

"How dare you!" Black yelled. "Me, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around with people who were bigger, stronger, and more powerful then me? But you- I never knew why I didn't suspect you from the start. You always liked being with people who could protect you. It used to be us. Me... Remus... and James."

Pettigrew wiped his face again. He was panting for breath.

"Me? A spy? You must be out of your mind...never... don't know why would-"

"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I made them!" Sirius hissed so meanly that Pettigrew took a step backwards. "I thought it was a great plan. I knew that Voldemort would think I was the Secret-Keeper... I was James's best friend. Stronger then you were, anyway. He probably wouldn't of even dreamed that we would use a weak, little talented thing like you. It must of been the best moment of your life... Telling Voldemort that you could give him the Potters..."

Hermione took a deep, nervous breath and stepped forward. She said, "Er, Professor Lupin? Can I say something?"

"Of course, Hermione," Lupin said kindly.

"Well, Scabb- this man has been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he was working for You-Know-Who, why hasn't he tried to hurt Harry before?"

"There!" Pettigrew yelled shrilly, pointing to Hermione with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I've never hurt a hair on Harry's head! Why would I want to?"

"This is why," Black said, "Because you never do anything for anyone unless you know what it's in it for you. Voldemort's been gone for twelve years, presumed dead. You weren't going to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, were you? You'd want to make sure Voldemort was the biggest bully in the playground before running back to him. Why else would you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for any news, weren't you Peter? Just in case Lord Voldemort returned..."

Pettigrew seemed to have lost the ability to speak. He opened his mouth several times, but nothing came out. About time, his voice was starting to give me a headache. And for once, the normal kind. Not the there's-a-voice-coming-into-your-head-now kind of headache. It was a nice change.

"Er, Mr Black- Sirius?" Hermione said, stepping forward.

Black looked startled, as if being addressed this way was something he wasn't used to, and stared at Hermione as if he'd never seen her.

"If you don't mind me asking...how did you escape from Azkaban? If you didn't use Dark magic?"

"Thank you!" Pettigrew shrieked. Oh for the love of God! Does he ever shut up?

"Exactly!" he went on. "Precisely what I-"

Lupin silenced him with a stern look. Black was looking at Hermione, not as if he was angry at her, but more like he was pondering his answer.

"I'm not sure what I did exactly," he said, looking slightly confused. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind was because I knew I was innocent. While the others in there were screaming nonsense, I was able to keep my mind. Anyway, that wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't take it away from me. But it kept me sane and knowing who I am. It helped me keep my powers. So when it all became a bit too much... I would transform in my cell... become a dog. Dementors couldn't see me then.  
>"They feel their way towards people by reading their emotions. I was less human... less complex, as a dog, so they weren't getting a big enough emotion from me to know I was actually there. But I was still very weak, so weak, too weak too draw them away without a wand...<br>He swallowed, and stared at Pettigrew. "But then I saw Pettigrew in that picture. And Max. So I knew they were both at Hogwarts, where Harry was. And Pettigrew was perfectly positioned to attack if such a whisper reached his ears about Voldemort..."

Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but he never once took his eyes off Black.

"You see, I had to do something. I was the only one that knew Pettigrew was still alive."

My mind went back to that summer night in the Leaky Cauldron, where me and Harry first heard that Black was after Harry. Mr Weasley saying, `The guards say he's been talking in his sleep. Always the same thing. He's at Hogwarts... He's at Hogwarts..."'

"It was like someone lit a fire in my head. It wasn't a happy thought... It was an obsession, so the Dementors couldn't take it away. But it cleared my mind, and gave me strength. So one night, when they opened the cell door to give me my food, I transformed into a dog and slipped past them. I was thin enough to slip through the bars. I swan as a dog back to mainland, then went north and came to Hogwarts as a dog. I've been living in the Forest since...except for when I go to Quidditch of course. You fly as well as your father, Harry," he said, looking at Harry. Then he turned to me, and said, "And you fly better then I've ever seen anyone fly before."

I smiled at the irony of his words. "Yeah, well, I'm kinda used to flying," I said. As soon as the words left my mouth, I had the burning desire to spread out my wings. But I couldn't do that. Even though I only just met him, I was afraid of the rejection that he would think I was a freak.

"You played Quidditch before school?" Black asked. I shrugged, conscious of my wings tight against my back. "Something like that," I said.

Black looked between me and Harry. "Believe me," he begged. "Please, believe me. I never betrayed James or Lily. Or even Grace, wherever that idea came from."

At long last, I finally believed everything. The desire and desperation in his eyes was enough. Throat too tight too actually say anything, I nodded. Beside me, Harry nodded too.

I had a father.

"NO!" Pettigrew yelled. He feel to his knees, as if I just told him that Erasers were going to rip his face off. Yeah, he sounded that bad. Creepy.

"Sirius, it's me- your old friend- you wouldn't-" Pettigrew said, reaching out to grab onto Black's robes. Black recoiled, and growled "There's enough dirt on my robes without you touching them!"

New Dad=1

Creepy traitor=0

"Remus," Pettigrew squeaked. "You can't believe this! Wouldn't Sirius of told you that he changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was a spy," Lupin said calmly. "I assume that's why you never told me, Sirius?" he asked.

"Forgive me, Remus," Black said.

Lupin smiled. "Not at all, Padfoot," he said as he rolled up his sleeves. "If you forgive me for believing you were the spy all these years?"

"Of course," Black said, smiling his first real smile since this whole thing started. "Shall we kill him together?"

"Yes, I think so," Lupin said.

"You wouldn't- you wouldn't-" Pettigrew was whimpering. Then he scampered over to Ron.

"Ron, I've been a good pet-a good friend. You wouldn't let them kill me, Ron. Your on my side, aren't you?"

But Ron was just staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.

"I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.

Pettigrew turned to Iggy, who was still right beside Ron. "Kind boy... Funny boy... you wouldn't let them kill me..."

"Go rot in hell," Iggy said. Pettigrew turned to face Fang, but Fang just said, "Don't even think about it. Your better off dead."

Pettigrew then turned to me. He crawled over to where I stood, and clasped his hands like he was praying. "Kind, strange girl... Brave girl... You look just like her... Just like your mother... Like Grace... She was a very sweet girl... Please, have mercy..."

Thinking carefully, I gave a well placed, strong side kick right into Pettigrews neck. He fell onto the floor, wheezing and gasping.

Black leaped forward and yelled, "HOW DARE YOU TALK TO HER! HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT GRACE IN FRONT OF HER!"

Pettigrew ignored him, then turned to Harry. Honestly, this guy was not going to stop.

"Harry... You look just like James... He wouldn't want me dead, Harry. He'd have spared me..."

"DON'T TALK ABOUT JAMES TO HIM! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!" Black was shouting.

"Please... Harry... Max... James and Grace would have shown me mercy... Please!"

Black and Lupin strode forward and grabbed Pettigrew's shoulders, then threw him across the room. He just sat there, twitching and shuddering.

"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort," Black said, shaking with anger. "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears. It was quite pathetic, actually. "Sirius, Sirius, what would you have done? The Dark Lord... you have no idea what powers he has...I was scared... I was never brave like you or the others. I never meant for it to happen. He forced me-"

"DON'T LIE!" Black yelled. "YOU WERE PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! EVEN BEFORE GRACE AND ME GOT ENGAGED!"

"What was there to be gained by refusing him?" Pettigrew whispered.

"Only innocent lives, Peter!" Lupin shouted.

"You two don't understand!" Pettigrew gasped. "He was going to kill me, Sirius-"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Black yelled. Boy, can he scream. "YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED RATHER THEN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS!"

Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands aimed right at Pettigrew. I was really glad the rest of the flock weren't here. Watching someone die was not something I wanted them seeing.

"Then you should have realized that if Voldemort didn't kill you, then we would- together. Good-bye, Peter."

Hermione covered her face with her hands and faced the wall.

"NO!" Harry yelled, jumping forward. He stood in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," he said. "You can't."

Black and Lupin both staggered, looking confused.

"Harry, this piece of vermin in the reason you haven't got any parents. You heard him. He would rather save himself instead of saving an entire family."

"I know," Harry said. "We'll bring him back to the castle. The Dementors can have him. He can go to Azkaban."

"Thank you, Harry!" Pettigrew said. "Thank you!" He flung his arms around Harry's knees, crying.

"Get off me!" Harry growled. "I'm not doing this for you. I just don't think my dad would have wanted them to become killers for you." He turned around to me, and said, "Or you mom."

Oh, great. Now I feel guilty.

Without saying a word, Black and Lupin stared at each other, then lowered their wands. "Your the only one who can have a real say in this, Harry," Black said. "But just think about what he did."

"I know," Harry said. "He can go to Azkaban."

Pettigrew started wheezing on the floor. I felt happy to see a large, painful looking bruise forming where I kicked him.

"I agree," I said. "If my opinion is important."

"Of course it is," Black said. I smiled, not really thinking about what I was doing.

"Very well," Lupin said. "Stand aside."

Harry hesitated.

"I'm only going to tie him up," Lupin said.

Harry stepped out of the way. Thin ropes shot out of the end of his wand, and tied around Pettigrew. Next minute, he was wriggling around on the floor.

"But, if you transform, Peter," Black said, "We kill you. Do you agree?" Black said, looking at me and Harry.

Together, me and Harry nodded.

"Right," Lupin said, looking at Ron. "Ron, I can't mend bones as fast as Madam Pomfrey so I'll just strap up your leg until we get to the castle."

He went over to Ron, wand out, and tapped Ron's leg with it. Bandages erupted around Ron's leg, strapping it tightly in a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet, keeping a secure arm around him.

"That's better," he said. "Thanks."

"What about him?" Iggy asked, pointing at Snape.

"Can't we just leave him here? He knows the way out," I said. Black barked a laugh, but Lupin said, "We'll take him back with us. There's nothing seriously wrong with him. He's still out cold though. But it's best if we don't revive him until we're back at the castle. We can take him like this," he said, and waved his wand.

It was like invisible strings were tied to Snape's neck and wrists and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, his head lolling against his chest. He hung a few feet in the air, looking like an ugly puppet.

Lupin picked up the Cloak and stuffed it carefully into his pocket.

"Two of us should be tied to this," Black suggested, indicating to Pettigrew.

"I'll do it," Iggy said, stepping forward.

"And me," Fang said.

Black conjured manacles from mid-air, and a few minutes later, Iggy and Fang were strapped to Pettigrew.

I went over to Ron, and put my arm around his shoulders for support, and without a word, he put his hand around my waist for more help. By the look on his face, he had taken the whole Scabbers things as a real insult.

Crookshanks leapt from the bed, then leaded the way out of the door, his bottlebrush tail held high.

I left the room feeling strangely happy, and numb inside.

I had a dad. A real dad.

I left the room smiling.

_**Hey! Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it! This is probably the longest chapter I've ever done! Hope it wasn't too long!**_

___**Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter!**_

___**Free cookies and butterbeer for everyone that reviews so...**_

___**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! **_

**_LoVe YoU gUyS!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	27. The Dementors Kiss

_**AUTHORS NOTE! :P**_

_**Hey! Here's the new chapter, and sorry for the small delay. This week was a very tiring one, with a lot of sports! **_

**_We had a gaelic match (for those who don't know the sport, it's like soccer but you can use your hands. It's one of Ireland's most popular sports) on Tuesday, and we won! So that means that we are the first gaelic team in five years to get the semi-final! Whoo! And then on Thursday, I had two gealic training sessions, one with the school, and one with my local club. And of course, there is the issue of homework which isn't fun... :/ _**

**_Now to answer some reviews..._**

**_Florafan199914: *taps nose* you'll have to wait to see ;)_**

**_Quail Sandwich: Yeah, I thought because they were never on the run, she is different and thinks differently about things. The whole flock thinks different then they do in the books. She still hates him though, but she just thinks he would suffer more in Azkaban, like Harry. _**

**_oOSmileOo: aw, really? Thanks very much :')_**

**_Eli the Amazing: I know... There will be Fax thought, just not the romance kind. The deep, friendship kind of Fax. I hope that's alright :)_**

**_Annie Bell: If you want, then make the account. Oh, really? Oops... I was close enough haha :) Oh, and like I said to Eli the Amazing ^ there will be fax, just not the romance kind. _**

**_Okay, thanks for all the reviews!_**

**_Nearly at 300! I love you guys!_**

**_Anyhow, here is the chapter!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Max's POV<em>**

Walking out of the Whomping Willow, I felt like I've never been apart of a more stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the tunnel. Iggy, Fang and Pettigrew were behind him, looking like weird entrants in a six-legged race. Then came Snape, hovering creepy along the tunnel. his toes hitting each step on the way down, held up by his own wand that was being held up by Sirius. It felt strange to call him dad, so I didn't. I just stuck with his first name.

Me, Harry, Ron and Hermione brought up the near, three of us holding onto Ron to support him. Actually getting into the tunnel was difficult. Fang, Iggy and Pettigrew had to turn sideways to manage it, and Snape was banging his head off the ceiling. I got the impression that Sirius wasn't even trying to stop this from happening. Honestly, I don't blame him.

"You know what this means?" Sirius said, turning back to me and Harry. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You'll be free," I said, grinning.

"Yes," he said, a hint of s smile playing on his lips. He looked at Harry and said, "I'm not sure if you know, but when you were born...Lily and James named me your godfather, Harry."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said.

"Oh, well... they appointed me your guardian," said Sirus, sounding stiff. "If anything happened to them..."

I looked between Sirius and Harry. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

"I understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," Sirius said. "Well, think about it... Once my names cleared... if you ever wanted to have a different home..."

"What? Live with you?" Harry asked, his voice strangely high. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"I thought you wouldn't want to. I completely understand. I just thought-"

"Are you mental?" Harry said, beaming. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

Sirius turned around, staring at Harry in disbelief. Snape was hovering by the ceiling, gently floating away down the tunnel, but Sirius didn't care.

"You want to?" Sirius croaked. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" Harry said. Sirius smiled, a true, genuine smile. The difference it made on his face was startling. It was like a man ten years younger was standing in his place. Sirius turned to me, and said, "What about you, Max? I am your father after all." I was about to say yes, without even thinking, but I caught myself before I did. I couldn't move in with Sirius and Harry. It wasn't that simple. For Harry, it was. He hated the Dursleys. But I couldn't leave the flock, or the Weasley's.

"Something wrong?" Sirius asked, seeing my hesitation. "I can't," I said. "I can't leave the flock, or the Weasley's. I'm sorry, but I can't. I'll visit everyday though. Promise. And stay over a lot. I just can't move in." Sirius looked disappointed, but he agreed. "It's a deal then," he said smiling. Then he asked, "Who are the flock?"

"Er... There kinda like my family. We grew up together. Fang and Iggy are in the flock, and Nudge. She's in first year. Then there's Gazzy and Angel, but there too young to go to Hogwarts. Together, we're the flock." I couldn't believe I was even saying this to a stranger.

"Why are you called the flock?" Sirius asked. Should I tell him? About the wings? The School? Everything?

"It's a long story," I said, looking at him. "It can wait then," he said, grinning. I smiled back, feeling relieved.

No one else spoke until we reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first, and pressed the knot on the tree trunk. Iggy, Fang and Pettigrew went out next, then Snape, and Sirius followed. Me, Harry, and Hermione helped Ron up through the hole. Then Sirius stood back to allow us to climb through. He seemed upset that I hadn't jumped at the chance to marry him, but our deal seemed to keep him happy enough.

Finally, everyone was out of the tunnel and out in the grounds. It was very dark outside now; the only lights were from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, we set off towards the castle. Pettigrew was still wheezing, and gasping.

I looked at Sirius, who was in front of me, and something nagged at the back of my mind. I knew I should tell him about the wings sooner or later, but the though of him rejecting me was too hard to think of.

_**He thought you were dead, Max. He has the right to know everything that has happened to you when he couldn't have a daughter **_the Voice said. I knew it was right, and I hated that. So I decided on what to do.

I took a shaky breath, and stood forward to where Sirius was strolling, looking around at the trees, the lake, and the castle, with a new, happy gleam in his eyes.

I didn't know what to say, so I just started with, "Hi." _Great, Max. Brilliant start. _"Hey, Max," Sirius said, smiling. It seemed like he couldn't stop now. A man who had lost everything, and now it seemed like he was getting everything back. Who wouldn't be smiling? I wondered if he would still be smiling after what I tell him...

I dragged him away from the others, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw them stop. It looked like they were fixing Ron's bandages and splint.

"You wanted to know why we call ourselves the flock," I said, feeling sick to my stomach. Sirius nodded, not saying everything. "Okay," I said shakily. "I'll tell you everything. But you can't talk until I'm finished. Promise?" I said. "I promise," he said.

"Right. Well, I was taken to America, to a place in California called the School. It's run by scientists that we call whitecoats..." And I went on from there, telling him everything. All about the experiments, the Erasers, the wings, Jeb, getting out of the School, then coming to Hogwarts. I even told him about Donovan. Which is not something I go around telling everyone, let me tell you that.

When I finished, he didn't say anything. I braced myself for him to say something, anything.

"Your even more special then I thought," Sirius said, smiling. I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding, then asked, "You don't care that I'm a mutant freak?" Sirius frowned, and said, "The only thing I care about is that those sons of bit-" he paused, looked at me, then said, "Is that those jerks that did that to you are still out there, doing the same thing to other children." He really did look angry. I swallowed, and said, "Well, I got out. I'm fine now."

"When my name is free, I will do everything I can to shut down the School and send all the whitecoarts and Erasers to prison. You can count on that, sweetheart," Sirius said, reaching out and pulling me into a tight hug. I resisted at first, but then relaxed, feeling comfortable. I hugged him back, feeling normal for once in my life. At the back of my mind, I knew this wasn't something people would normally think Maximum Ride would be doing. I felt different in every way, hugging my father.

I let go of him, and smiled. After a moments, he asked, "Can I see them?" I thought twice about it, but I did extend my wings slightly. Sirius's eyes widened, and he started laughing. "Their beautiful, sweetheart!" he said happily. "I know," I said smugly, smirking. I pulled my wings back tight against my back.

"What was my mother like?" I asked, as we started walking back to the others. Sirius smiled sadly. "Amazing," he said, "She was just amazing. She was smart, funny, beautiful, sassy, and fought for what she believed in. I was in love with her from the first time I saw her." He barked a laugh that made Lupin look up at us, frowning. "Grace on the other hand... Let's just say, it took a while for her to feel the same way about me that I felt about her."

I really wished I got a chance to know my mother.

"One wrong move Peter," Lupin was saying when we rejoined the group, his wand pointed at Pettigrew's chest.

Silently, we walked back to the castle. Harry looked so much more happy then I've ever seen him before.

A cloud shifted in the sky. There were shadows on the ground, and we were all drowned in moonlight.

Fang, Iggy and Pettigrew collided with Lupin, who was in front of them, making Snape collide into them. Sirius froze beside me. He grabbed me and Hermione around the wait, dragging us behind him, then he forced Ron and Harry to stop, throwing his hand in front of them.

I could see Professor Lupin in the distance. He had gone rigid, all his limbs shaking.

"Oh my-" Hermione gasped. "He's forgotten to take his potion! He's not safe!"

"Run," Sirius whispered. "Run-Now!"

"But- Fang! Iggy!" I said, jumping forward to get to them. Sirius caught my hand, trying to drag me back. but I shook him off and sprinted over to where Fang and Iggy were, chained to Pettigrew. Snape was still there too, and after thinking about it, I grabbed the ropes around him and pushed him in the general direction of the others, out of Lupin's way. Then I started work on the manacles around Fang and Iggy's wrists.

There was a terrible snarling noise from behind me. I wheeled around, hoping I didn't look too scared. Lupin's head and body was lengthening. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was visibly sprouting on his hands, face, and neck. His hands were curling into clawed paws. I turned back to Fang and Iggy. They were both desperately trying to free themselves, and Pettigrew was whimpering and crying again.

Can anyone say pathetic?

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my wand. "Stop moving so much!" I ordered. Fang and Iggy obeyed, silently watching me with shocked expressions. I pointed my wand at the manacles, and shouted a spell I remember Iggy telling me about. It was one that blew things up. Of course he'd know it then.

"_Reduco!"_ I yelled, and the manacles burst into dust, leaving Fang, Iggy and Pettigrew- sadly- free. Without delay, Fang and Iggy grabbed onto Pettigrew's arms, locking them to his sides. I was just so proud of them both.

A terrible howl behind me made me turned around, wand ready. Lupin had fully transformed into a werewolf. He was huge, grey, and absolutely terrifying. The werewolf's teeth were larger then Erasers, and his sharp claws looked ready to rip through brick walls. He was heading right towards us, claws ready to slash us to ribbons. I was the closest to him. He was right in front of me, his hot breath making me feel dizzy. He raised his paw, but something pushed me out of the way. I heard a loud cry of pain.

It was Iggy. I looked at him, sprawled at the bottom of a tree. He had pushed me out of the way, and the werewolf had knocked him into a tree. There was blood blossoming on his white shirt- a lot of it.

"Iggy!" I cried, trying ot run to him.

There was a growl behind me, and a huge black dog raced by me. It was Sirius. He had transformed to attack the werewolf. Sirius jumped forward and grabbed the werewolf around the neck, dragging it away from us. They were locked, claws ripping at each other, jaw to jaw.

I was watching the fight, dazed, and it was only Fang's cry of pain that made me turn back around. Fang was sprawled on the ground, groaning, blood streaming from his forehead. Pettigrew was standing on his own, a sharp rock in his hand.

"Hey!" I cried, running forward. I did a fast snap-kick to Pettigrew's hand, making the rock drop from his hand. I then punched Pettigrew in the face, making him fall on the ground. I knelt beside Fang, shaking him. "Fang- Fang, wake up!" I said, shaking him rougher and rougher.

Boy, his head was bleeding pretty bad. I reached down to my cloak, and ripped the end of it off, then tied it around Fang's wound.

When I was satisfied that he wasn't going to bleed to death, I stood up again, ready to kill Pettigrew. That cowardly weasel! I'm guessing he saw the rock on the ground, pretended to fall down, then grabbed it and whacked Fang right on the temple. And that's all it took. Mess with Mama bears cubs, you mess with Mama bear. But when I looked down at Pettigrew, he was crawling away, towards where Lupin had transformed. What was he-?

"Oh, no you don't!" I yelled. Pettigrew was reaching for Lupin's wand. He picked it up, then pointed it straight at me. My eyes widened, and I dropped to the ground. I felt my hair flip around on my back, telling me the spell was behind me. I jumped back to my feet, looking around me. It looked like the spell had soared right passed me, and hit Ron. He was crumbled on the ground, looking innocent and peaceful. I hope he was alright.

Fang was still on the ground, and Iggy was still at the base of the tree. Harry, Hermione and Ron were where standing together, looking shocked at scared. And Sirius and Lupin were still fighting.

Pettigrew was raising Lupin's wand again, and there was a loud BANG! And Crookshanks went flying through the air. I was surprised when Hermione didn't say anything.

_"Expelliarmus!"_ Harry shouted. Lupin's wand went flying, then out of sight. "Stay where you are!" Harry yelled, starting to run forward. But it was too late. Pettigrew smiled, waved at us, then transformed.

I was close enough to where he was standing, so I dived forward, hoping to be able to catch him, but he was too fast. The bad thing is, I grazed Pettigrews tail, but I wasn't able to grab hold of him. He slipped right through my fingers. I gave a cry of frustration, feeling angry at everything.

Hermione came over and helped me stand up, just in time to hear a rumbling growl. The werewolf- I refused to call him Professor Lupin. To me, it wasn't him- was running off into the forest.

"Sirius!" I shouted. "Pettigrew is gone. He transformed!"

It was only then I saw that he was bleeding. There were deep, long gashes running down his muzzle. But, at my words, he scrambled up again and ran to the the forest, the echoes of his paws fading into silence. "Sirius!" I shouted, but he didn't come back.

We all ran over to Fang, Iggy and Ron. They were all breathing, thank God, but none of them were responsive. Fang definitely had a concussion, Iggy was bleeding heavily, and Ron was just completely out of it. I did the same thing again with Iggy, ripping the ends of my robe to make a make-shift bandage. That seemed to help a little.

"How do you know about all those things?" Hermione asked, as if she was desperate to get things back to normal. "What things?" I asked absently, tying the knot on Iggy's bandage. "The first-aid things. Your very good at them," Hermione said nervously. "Jeb taught us everything. How to fly, how to fight, how to heal. Everything we needed to survive," I said, just letting everything flow from my mouth.

She didn't ask any other questions. She seemed too frightened to ever open her mouth again. But, yet again, she proved me wrong. "What happened to him?" she asked, looking at Ron.

"I don't know," Harry answered slowly.

"What do we do?" Hermione asked. I looked around. Sirius and Lupin were long gone, Snape was no help, and it didn't look like Fang, Iggy or Ron were waking up any time soon. "We have to go after Sirius and Lupin," I said, "Sirius will need help-"

"And what can we do against a werewolf, Max?" Harry said, pushing his dark, messy hair out of his eyes. "Nothing. We need to go back to the castle and tell someone what happened. Get help, then we can-"

But Harry was cut off by a high, yelping of pain: a dog in pain...

"Sirius," Harry and I said together. We started at each other, silently agreeing that there wasn't anything we could do for Ron, Fang and Iggy at the moment,and Sirius was in trouble. So we set off on a run, Hermione following close behind us. It sounded like the yelping came from the lake. We sprinted towards the lake, racing through the forest and dodging trees and branches. I felt the cold in my bones, not really thinking about what it meant.

Suddenly, the yelping stopped. As we skidded to a stop beside the lake, why my dad stopped howling was obvious. Sirius had turned back into a man, and we was crouched on the ground with his hands over his head.

"Nooo," he was moaning, "Nooo..."

Then I noticed them. There were Dementors, at least a hundred of them, gliding around the lake towards us. I felt the familiar cold penetrate my insides, and there was fog obscuring my vision. I heard Hermione stumble behind me. This much of been overwhelming for her.

"Guys, think of something happy!" Harry shouted. I shook my head, trying to clear it of all the fog, and the screaming. I thought of Sirius, my father, and the thought of actually having a family, and I thought of seeing the flock again, seeing the Weasley's. I thought of Harry, Hermione, Ron. Ethan. I thought of what Sirius told me about my mother. Just everything good that has ever happened to me went through my mind, and I couldn't stop myself from grinning at all the happy memories.

I began chanting along with Harry, "_Expecto Patronum...Expecto Patronum..."_

Sirius shuddered on the ground, moaning softly. I could of sworn I heard him whisper, "Grace," but I could of been imagining it.

"_Expecto Patronum! _Hermione, come on, help! _Expecto Patronum!"_

"_Expecto... Expecto..." _Hermione tried, but she wasn't able. She collapsed where she stood. "Hermione!" I cried, but Harry shouted, "She's fine! But she won't be if we don't get rid of the Demtentors!"  
>Well, someones a persistent bugger.<p>

The Dementors were closing in on me and Harry. I've never felt so weak, so vulnerable. So useless. They formed a solid wall around me, Harry, Hermione and Sirius, who had stopped moving. But that wasn't something I was going to talk about.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!" _Harry and I were shouting, and I was trying to block out the little girl's- no, my- screams. Little wisps of silver light erupted from both our wands, but nothing near powerful enough to drive away the Dementors.

"_Expecto...Expecto Patronum..." _

My legs gave out, and I feel down to my knees in the wet grass. I heard Harry fall beside me. I struggled to think clearly, to think about anything at all. Sirius was innocent. The Dementors wouldn't hurt someone who was innocent... Would they?

_**Of course they would, Max, **_the Voice chimed in. _**They have no emotions. No feelings whatsoever. Now you see why it's so important to fight against things like there. Max- you need to save the world. **_

Well, that was cheerful.  
>I turned my head to look at Harry. With all the energy I had left, I whispered, "Once more. We try once more." Even my voice seemed dimmer, more quieter. Harry nodded, and we raised out wands again. "<em>Expecto- Expceto Patronum-"<em>

A Dementor halted in front of us. It wasn't able to walk through the small wall of mist me and Harry had made. Through the silvery light the Patronus cast, I saw the Dementor raise a scaled, dead looking hand towards his hood. It turned to Sirius, who was outside the minor protection of the Patronus.

"No- He's innocent!" Harry gasped.

"They can't!" I cried. I could feel the Dementors watching us, considering what to do with us. I could hear their rattling breath through the silence. The nearest Dementor to us lowered his hood and came closer.

Where there were meant to be eyes, there was just scabbed, rotting skin. The only feature on its face was a huge, gaping mouth. A terror filled me- one I've never felt before. I reached out blindly through the dark, found Harry's hand, and took tight hold of it. He started rubbing soothing circles into my hand, but by the look on his face, he was also terrified.

White fog- distant screaming- had to fight- had to protect Hermione. Sirius. Innocent. Harry. Flock. Keep them all safe.

Beside me, Harry started reaching out. He was grabbing Sirius's arm. I followed lead, and took his other hand. No one was going to take him away from me. Not when I just found him.

Strong, clammy hand's grabbed my head and forced me onto my back, and forcing my head upward. I was still hand in hand with Harry, and Sirius, but there grips were getting fainter, not as strong. I could feel the Dementors breath on my face, making me feel sick to my stomach. They were going to kiss me first. I was sure of it. I gave Harry's hand a tight squeeze. Thankfully, I got a squeeze back.

Okay, so I wasn't going to die alone. That's always a bonus.

I could hear myself screaming as a child. Hearing myself being tortured was going to be the last thing I ever heard.

But through the fog that seemed to be drowning me, I saw a bright, silvery light growing bigger and brighter. I felt the weight leave my head. The Dementor let me go. I was shaking and felt sick. The silver light was making the grass around me glow. The screaming in my ears had stopped, and the cold was slowly fading away. The Dementors were slowly retreating. What had happened? What was the silvery light? Why was I still alive? Or, to be correct, why did I still have my soul?

I lifted my head, and saw that there were two things driving the Dementors back. Two things on four legs, but I couldn't make out what they were. One of them was circling around me, Harry, Hermione and Sirius, and the other was running around the lake, driving the Dementors away... They were leaving... They were gone...

The air started warming up again, and I felt a little better, but I still couldn't make a proper thought that make any sense, and I was still feeling weak. Harry was still awake, but not for long. I crawled over to him, every movement sending pain up through my body. I fell back down again right beside Harry. He smiled weakly at me, and put his arm around me, pulling me closer to him.

We both lifted our heads to look at the strange lights that saved us. They were standing close to each other now, running back over to the other side of the lake. For a moment, there brightness showed two people welcoming then back. Two people that looked very familiar. But it couldn't be... By the stunned look on Harry's face, he saw them too, and recognized them. But that was the last thing I could take.

I collapsed in the grass, unconscious, with Harry's arm safely around me.

**_Hey, sorry if it started getting sucky. I'm kinda being rushed by my parents cuz we gotta leave for my grandparents house. Anyway, here's the new chappie! Enjoy! _**

**_Free cookies and butterbeer to everyone that reviews so..._**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Please, we're so close to 300!_**

**_LoVe YoU gUyS!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	28. The Timeturner

**_AUTHORS NOTE :P_**

**_Hey everyone! Here's the new chapter! Hope everyone like likes it!_**

**_Now to answer some reviews..._**

**_Brightcloud of the Clans: I'm not sure. Probably some dog like animal, like a wolf, or an actual dog. _**

**_AnikaandAj: Did I actually write that? Wait, let me check... OMG WHY DID I WRITE THAT? I'm sooo sorry! I did not mean to write `he seemed upset at the fact that I hadn't jumped at the chance to MARRY HIM'. I did not mean to write marry. I feel so stupid! I was watching a show about weddings when I wrote it, so that's probably why i wrote it... god im so stupid! i'll fix that now... Oh and about Sirius's reaction, I was trying to make it seem like he was so happy to have Max and Harry that he didn't really mind. But he will get angry about it soon... promise... _**

**_And thanks to everyone else that reviewed! _**

**_Oh, and this is directed to teenbooks4eva... update! _**

**_That is all. _**

**_Love you!_**

**_"Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Max's POV<em>**

"By Merlin... Shocking business, shocking... It's a miracle their all still alive! Never heard of such a thing before... It was a very lucky thing you were there, Snape..."

"Thank, you Minister."

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I say. First Class, if I can manage it!"

"Thank you very much, Minister."

"Nasty cut you have there, Snape. Black I suppose?"

"In face, it was Potter, Ride, Weasley, Granger, Martinez and Griffiths, Minister."

"No!"

"Bewitched. I saw it from the first moment I lay my eyes on them. The Confundus Charm, I think. They seemed to think Black was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. They clearly thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. I'm afraid to say they've gotten away with a lot before this. They seem to have a very high opinion of themselves. Especially Miss Ride. And of course, Potter has always been allowed do whatever he wants, by the Headmaster."

"Well, you know Snape- Harry Potter- we all have a soft spot where he's concerned. And the other children- Miss Ride, and Martinez, and Griffiths, and the rest of them- well, you know their story Snape. Sad, very sad..."

"But is it good to give them special treatment? Personally, I act the same way towards them then any other student. Any any other students would of been suspended, for leading their friends into such dangers. Consider, Minister, after all the precautions put in to keep them safe- not only Potter, but the fre- hybrids as well- out of bounds , with a werewolf and a murderer... And I have reason to believe Potter was visiting Hogsmeade without permission too."

"We shall see Snape. The children have undoubtedly been foolish..."

I was listening to this seriously stupid conversation with my eyes closed, breathing in and out slowly, and feeling extremely groggy and disorientated. I just wanted to stay in this comfortable bed forever. But, knowing my luck, that would never happen.

"But what really shocked me was the behavior of the Dementors. And you don't know why they retreated, Snape?" The Minister said.

"No, Minister. When I arrived, they were already heading back to their posts outside the grounds."

"Extraordinary. And yet, the two girls and the Harry...?"

"They were all unconscious by the time I reached them, including Martinez and Griffiths, who were found by the Whomping Willow. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, then conjured up stretchers and brought them all back to the castle."

There was a pause, and I opened my eyes, blinking a few times at the sudden bright light. I looked around the hospital wing (where else would I be?). At the very end of the ward, Madam Pomfrey was bent over someone else, her back towards me. I could see Ron's bright red hair from under her arm.

I turned my head to the right. In the bed beside me was Harry, looking quite strange without his glasses. He was awake too, and when he saw me, he smiled, but raised a finger to his lips. In the bed to his right was Hermione, who was also awake. She looked petrified. When she saw me, she pointed to the door of the hospital wing, where Snape and Fudge's voices were coming from.

Before we could talk, Madam Pomfrey came bustling over to our beds. She was carrying the biggest block of chocolate I have ever seen before in my life. Hmm, so maybe something good did come from this.

"Ah, your all awake!" she said, looking at me, Harry and Hermione.

"Hows Fang? And Iggy? And Ron?" I asked, sitting up. "They'll live," Madam Pomfrey said, trying to force me to sit down, but I wouldn't budge. I was much stronger then the average adult. The whole flock were, even five-year old Angel. "Although, none of them are going anywhere anytime soon. Weasley's leg is broken, and both Martinez and Griffiths have major concussions. But they'll be fine in a few days."

That was one thing I liked about Madam Pomfrey. She wouldn't try to sugar everything for us. She tells us how it is, and what's wrong. "And as for you three- your staying here until I'm happy with you. Miss Ride, the cut on your forehead became mildly infected but I- Potter, where do you think your going?" she asked. Harry was pulling the blankets off him, and swinging his legs off the bed. I was glad we were still in our clothes from before. Hospital gowns freak me out. Well, anything that has to do with hospitals freak me out, except for this one. Madam Pomfrey uses herbs and magic to heal people, not medicine or anesthetic, so there wasn't the same smell as there was in the School. Thank God, or else they would have to send me in the loony bin.

Harry was pushing his glasses onto his face and picking up his wand when he answered, "I need to see the Headmaster." He looked at me and Hermione. "We all do."

"Potter, it's alright," Madam Pomfrey said soothingly. "Any minute now, the Dementors will perform the kiss on Black-"

"WHAT?" I jumped out of my bed, feeling as if I just got a huge electric shock. She had to be yanking our chain. There was no way they were going to get the Dementors to do the kiss on my dad!

Hermione got out of bed too and stood beside me. She was covered in dirt and bruises, and her lip was cut and swollen, but other then that she seemed fine. Our shouts seemed to have been heard out in the corridor because next second, Fudge and Snape strolled in, not as if they were sentencing an innocent man to such a horrible fate.

"Harry, Harry, whats this?" Fudge said, smiling as if we were all children. Well we were children but- well, you know what I mean! "You should be in bed! Have you given him chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey, as if me or Hermione weren't there at all. Seriously? This dude was running the magical community? Wow, great choice there!

"Minister, listen," Harry said, "Sirius is innocent! Peter Pettigrew fake his own death. We all saw him tonight! You can't let the Dementors do that to Sirius-"

"See, Minister," Snape drawled, "Clearly confunded-"

"We aren't confunded!" I snapped. "Sirius is innocent! If the Dementrors give him the kiss, you'll be killing of an innocent man, instead of trying to find the one that's actually guilty!" See? Whoever said bird-kids couldn't make good points, or sound intelligent?

"Little girl, listen to me. You've been through a terrible ordeal, so you should just lie down and rest," Fudge said, which only made me more mad. "Little girl? I told you my name less then four hours ago. And your the one running the magical community? And I've been thorough worse then what happened tonight," I said, doing my best to sound bored and uninterested. Kinda hard when your voice is shaking from rage.

"Oh, I seriously doubt it, miss," Fudge said. "What happened tonight was terrible." I rolled my eyes, hoping that would annoy him. By the look on his face, it did. "Worse then being raised in a lab? Worse then spending the first ten years of your life in a dog-crate, getting painful experiments done to you? Worse then living in fear that you could die any minute, just because you did something wrong?" I looked at Fudge's face. It only seemed to dawn on his now that I was one of the magnificent bird-children. "Didn't think so," I added, and was pleased when Fudge blushed.

What a moron.

"Minister, please listen," Hermione said, probably afraid that I was going to do something stupid. With the way Fudge was going on, I would of done. "You have the wrong man. I saw him too. He was Ron's rat- well, he was an Animagus, but- Pettigrew, I mean-"

"Minister, Professor," Madam Pomfrey said in a calm voice. "These three are my patients. They should not be distressed."

"We're not distressed!" I yelled. "We're trying to tell these nimrods what happened, but they're too narrow-minded to listen! They're never going to believe kids, just because we're kids! If we were adults, they'd be all over trying to get Pettigrew back. But no, these two are too stupid to understand that kids are important too!" I didn't know I was going to say all that until it came out of my mouth. Oops, I tend to do that a lot.

Another thing I tend to do was get under people's skin. And I was doing it here with Fudge and Snape. Haha, what can I say, its' a gift.

Before I could open my mouth to recite all the rights that children had (I memorized it when Jeb said we weren't allowed watch a scary movie. Boy did he get a talking to), Madam Pomfrey stuffed a huge lump of chocolate into my mouth. When I was coughing and spluttering, she forced me down onto my bed, saying, "Please. These children need to rest. Please leave."

The door opened again, and this time, Dumbledore walked in, his long silver beard tucked into his belt. Harry stepped forward immediately and said, "Professor, Sirius Black-"

"For heavens sake!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked. "Is this not a hospital wing? Headmaster, I'm going to have to ask you to-"

"I apologize Poppy," Dumbledore said, "But I need to word with Mr Potter, Miss Ride and Miss Granger. I've just been talking to Sirius Black-"

"I suppose he told you the same ridiculous story he told the children," Snape sneered. "About a rat being Pettigrew or something absurd like that." Dumbledore nodded, looking calm. "That is exactly what he told me," he said, surveying Snape over his half-moon spectacles.

"And does my evidence stand for nothing?" Snape asked. "Peter Pettigrew was no where in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him in the grounds."

"Well, it would be hard to see someone, or hear something, when you were _knocked out _Professor," I snarled.

"MISS RIDE, FOR ONCE IF YOUR LIFE, HOLD THAT SARCASTIC TONGUE OF YOURS!" Snape shouted. I raised an eyebrow, trying not to smile.

"Severus, please, the girl is clearly distressed," Fudge said, looking at me as if I was a patient at a mental hospital. Well, isn't he considerate.

"I would like to speak with Max, Harry and Hermione alone, please," Dumbledore said. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy- please leave us." I looked at Dumbledore, impressed. He just gave a direct order to the Minister of Magic. Way to go, Dumbledore.

"But- Headmaster, they need treatment!" Madam Pomfrey said. "This cannot wait, Poppy," Dumbledore said. Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and stormed off into her office, slamming the door so loud that I felt the bed vibrate underneath me. Fudge pulled out a gold pocket watch from his pocket, and said, "The Dementors should be arriving at any minute. I'll meet you upstairs, Dumbledore." Then he pocketed the watch, and strode from the hospital wing.

Snape, however, remained where he was. "You don't believe Black's story?" he asked, looking astounded. "I wish to talk to Max, Harry and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated, not meeting Snape's eyes. Snape took a step closer to Dumbledore.

"Black showed that he was capable of murder when he was sixteen," Snape hissed. "Surely you haven't forgotten?"

"My memory is as good as if always was," Dumbledore replied simply.

"And what about her?" Snape spat, pointing at me. "What about me?" I asked. Snape completely ignored me and turned back to Dumbledore. "She's his daughter. What will happen to her?"

"Nothing, Severus. Last time I checked, no one got in trouble for having a convicted criminal for a father. This won't affect Max at all," Dumbledore answered. I was glaring at Snape. Was he serious? He wanted me to get, like, expelled or something, just because my dad was Sirius Black. What a butthead!

Without a word, Snape turned on his heel and marched from the hospital wing. I resisted shouting `Drama Queen!' after him. Just barely though.

As soon as he was gone, me Harry and Hermione burst into explanations. "Scabbers was Pettigrew-"

"He cut off his own finger-"

"Pettigrew attacked Ron and Fang, not Sirius-"

"He escaped when Lupin turned into a werewolf-"

Dumbledore calmly raised his hand, and we all stopped talking at once. I know, Maximum Ride, doing what she was told. But for once in my life, I respected an adult. No hating, but there was just something about Dumbledore. Anyone would respect him. Hell, an Eraser would.

"It's your turn to listen, and i beg you not to say anything until I am finished. There is very little time," he said quietly. "Apart from your word, there ins;t a shred of proff to support Black's story. And I'm sad to say that the word of three thirteen-year old wizards won't convince many people. There was a street full of people that swore they saw Black kill Pettigrew. I myself even gave evidence to the Ministry that Black was the Potter's Secret-Keeper."

"But, Professor Lupin could tell you-" Hermione said, seeming unable to stop herself. That was Hermione. If she thought she had something figured out, there was no stopping her from telling everyone about it.

"Yes, but Miss Granger, Professor Lupin is currently deep in the woods, unable to tell anyone anything," Dumbledore said, and Hermione blushed a deep red. "And by the time he changes back, it will be too late and Sirius would be worse then dead. And I might say that werewolves are seriously mistrusted within our kind, and whatever he says will count for very little."

"But-"

"Max, listen to me. It is too late. I am sorry, but that's just as it is. I know he's your father but there's nothing we can do for him. Also, Snape's version of events are much more believable then yours."

"He hates Sirius," Harry spat. "All because he played a stupid trick on him-"

"Sirius hasn't acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady, then entering the Gryffindor tower with a knife. Without Pettigrew dead, or alive, there is no way to overturn his sentence."

"But you believe us?" Hermione asked.

"Yes I do," Dumbledore said. "But sadly, I don't have the power to make the other men see the truth, or to overrule the Ministry of Magic." I stared up at his grave face and felt like the floor was falling from under my feet. I just found my father, and now he was being ripped away from me. God forbid I should get anything easily. Oh no, that would just be too simple for the mutant freak.

"What we need," Dumbledore said slowly, staring intently at Hermione, with a glint in his eyes, "Is more time."

"But you just said-" I started, but was cut off from Hermione, who exclaimed, "OH!"

"Now pay attention," Dumbledore said, stepping closer to us, looking very serious, "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all things go well, you should be able to save more then one innocent life tonight. But remember this, the three of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law. You-must-not-be-seen."

I didn't have a clue what was happening.

Dumbledore turned on his heel and marched to the door. I turned to Hermione, about to ask a million questions, when Dumbledore turned around again and said, "I will lock you in. It's-" he looked at his watch, "Five minutes to midnight. Three turns should do it, I think. Good luck." Then he closed the door behind him. I heard the click of the lock.

"Three turns? Good luck? What's he talking about?" Harry asked.

"How are we meant to save two lives if we're locked in here?" I asked.

But Hermione was too busy messing with the neck of her jumper, then she pulled out a long, thin, gold chain. "Harry, Max," she said, sounding anxious and urgent. "Come here. Quick."

"What about Fang, Iggy and Ron?" I asked, moving over to Hermione. She rolled her eyes, and said, "Yeah, because it really looks like there going anywhere." I smirked, despite everything. True enough, the three boys were still unconscious. I hope they woke up soon. It felt strange without Fang's comforting presence beside me, or Iggy's relaxed humor, making everything seem better, or Ron's stupid sarcasm.

Hermione held the chain out more. This time, I noticed the tiny, sparkling hourglass at the bottom. "Here-" she said, throwing it around me and Harry's necks.

"Ready?" she asked. I nodded, not really thinking about what was going to happen. "What are we doing?" Harry asked, voicing my own thoughts. For an answer, Hermione just twisted the hourglass three times.

The dark hospital wing around us dissolved. I got the same feeling in my stomach as when me and the flock went flying, then folded in our wings and dropped from the sky like a rock, then snapping our wings out again. Talk about an adrenaline rush.

A blur of colors and shapes rushed past. My ears were pounding. I tried talking, but my voice just got carried away.

Then my feet touched solid ground again. The three of us were standing in the Entrance Hall. I looked around wildly, seriously confused. Hermione was putting the chain back under her shirt. "Hermione, what-?" Harry started, but Hermione grabbed me and Harry's hand, and dragged us over to the broom closet we hid in earlier. "In here!" she squealed, pushing us in with all the brooms and mops.

"Hermione, what just happened?" I asked, starting to feel panicky from being in such a small space. Hey, you would to if you grew up in a dog crate!

"We've gone back in time," Hermione said absently. "Three hours back." Beside me, I felt Harry tense.

"But how-" he started to ask, but Hermione slapped her hand over Harry's mouth, the thing we often do to Nudge. "Shh!" she hissed. "Listen, there's someone coming! I think- I think it might be us..." she said, pressing her ear against the door. "But... we were in this cupboard before we left for Hagrid's," I whispered. "How can we be out there now?"

"Because we've already left this cupboard. We we're probably walking to the door when we showed up and we never noticed us," Hermione explained. I frowned, trying to figure out what the hell she meant. This was all so confusing.

"Are you trying to say," Harry said, while I tried to get my breathing under control, "That we're in here, but we're out there too?" Hermione nodded, acting like everything was completely normal. Huh, and I thought she was the only normal one in our little weird gang.

"Yes," she said, listening, "It sounds like us. Six footsteps, walking slowly... We're going down the steps..." she turned around to me and Harry, then sat on an upturned bucket, looking nervous. "I'm not sure what Dumbledore wanted us to do," she admitted. And knowing Hermione, it took a lot for her to say she doesn't know what to do.

"Where did you get that hourglass thingy?" I asked, trying not to think about the small, tight space.

"It's called a Timeturner," Hermione explained. "I got it from McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it to get to all my classes. I couldn't tell anyone, McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't. The amount of time's I almost told Max... She had to write loads of letters to the Ministry of Magic, telling them I was a brilliant student and would never use it for anything other then my lessons. I've been going back hours, and was able to do my lessons. Do you see?" Harry and I nodded. I couldn't believe she kept something like that from me. But, I guess we all need to keep some secrets.

"I don't get why Dumbledore told us three hours. How can going back three hours help Sirius?" I asked. "There's obviously something here he wants us to change," Harry said slowly.

"All Dumbledore said was that another innocent life could be saved..." I said, frowning. The flock were taught all about breaking codes, and seeing things in riddles that others wouldn't be able to see straight away. Jeb taught us.

Suddenly it came to me. "Buckbeak!" I exclaimed.

"What?" Hermione asked. "We've got to free Buckbeak!" I said. "How will that help Sirius?" Hermione asked.

Harry came up with the answer before me. "Dumbledore told us where Sirius was being held. We've got to fly Buckbeak up there. They can escape together!"

Hermione looked absolutely terrified. "If we can do that without being seen, it will be a miracle!" she chocked. I grinned and said, "Where's the fun in that?"

Without waiting for anyone to say anything to me, I opened the door and leaped out into the Entrance Hall. I didn't once think of anyone walking around, or seeing me. I just wanted to get out of that tiny space and rescue my father. But of course, things weren't that easy. I heard small, light footsteps coming from the Great Hall, towards the Entrance Hall, where I was standing like an idiot. I started moving back to the evil cupboard, but I was too late.

The doors to the Great Hall opened, and out walks... Nudge?

I thought she left before we did? Maybe she was meant to come with us, and this was her chance. Or something like that.

She looked over at me, and her eyes widened. "Max? I thought you already left. Where are the others?"

Behind me, Hermione and Harry stepped out of the cupboard. She saw them, and gasped. "Are you on one of you weird, dangerous adventures again? Like the one's you do at the end of every school year?" Oh crap, I thought. Nudge is like my sister, heck she is my sister! But what happened to us tonight was not something she should go through.

Nudge saw the look creeping onto my face, and said, "No. Your not going to go all big sister/leader on me!" she said. "I'm eleven, and I think I should have a choice whether or not I go with you." I stared at her. That was the most mature thing I've ever heard Nudge say. And she says a lot of things. I turned back to Hermione, who looked worried, but she nodded anyway. She knew we could trust Nudge.

"Fine. If you want to, you can come. Do you have your wand? Just in case?" I asked. Nudge nodded, and pulled out her small wand. "Now listen. We're from the future. Three hours in the future. We came back to save a Hippogriff and my father that has been in prison for the last twelve years. Let's roll."

And with that, I jogged over to the door, checking that the cost was clear, leaving Nudge with her mouth hanging open behind me.

_**Sorry for the long wait, and boring chapter. This was more of a filler chapter then anything else. **_

__ _**Anyway, I've been busy with studying and our gaelic training has been moved to three days a week. So updating might be later then usual. This chapter was pretty long in PoA, so I'll continue on from there. Like I said, this was more of a filler chapter for the next one.**_

_** Everyone that reviews gets free cookies and butterbeer, so...**_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

**_-Rach ;)_**


	29. The Daring Rescue

**_Authors Note :p_**

**_How is everyone? Here is the new chapter, hope everyone likes it :)_**

**_But first, to answer some reviews..._**

**_AnikaandAj: Max definitely has defiance issues, as do I. That's really cool, my friends say I'm like her too :)_**

**_Nico-the-Neko: But isn't 85 really good? And to be honest, I'm not sure how many more chapters. A few extra at the end, but I'm not sure how many. Sorry I don't live in America, I live in Ireland. But I was there a few years ago and it was really nice. What's Japan like? Thanks for the review :)_**

**_florafan199914: thanks. I knew I really needed to involve her more then I was, so that was the perfect opportunity! _**

**_And thank you to everyone else who reviewed, I really appreciated it. _**

**_We're so close to 300! Please review! _**

**_Thanks!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Max's POV<strong>_

Looking left and right, we darted out the front door and down the stone steps. The sun was setting, shadows were lengthening, and the Forbidden Forest was being painted in gold and red. Little poetry there from your featherly.

"If anyone's looking out the windows..." Hermione squeaked as we jogged across the grounds. "What would happen?" Nudge asked. "Bad things," was all Hermione said. Nudge swallowed, but still looked ready for a fight. That's my little trooper.

"We'll run for it," Harry said, "Straight for the forest. We'll hide behind a tree or bush or something and hide out, then wait." I nodded, but said, "We'll have to go by the greenhouses though. If we go straight on, we'll pass Hagrid's door and we'll see us." I was finally understanding all the time travel stuff. That's progress people! Harry and Hermione nodded and we changed direction. "Wait, so your here, but down there too?" Nudge said, running along beside me. I nodded, and grinned, "The joys of time travel."

"Did you say your dad was here? And you need to rescue him?" She asked, her tawny eyes wide. I nodded. "And he was in prison for twelve years?" she added. I nodded again, waiting for her to figure it out. After about five seconds of silence (which is unusual if Nudge is with you) her mouth dropped again, and her eyes went wider. "Sirius Black!" she shouted.

"Nudge! Keep it down!" I snapped, but I was grinning. "Sirius Black is your father?" Nudge gasped. "Yup," I said, popping the `p'. "But he's a-a- a murderer!" she snapped, looking pretty dangerous. "And what he did to Harry's parents! Why are we rescuing him?" In a low voice as we sprinted towards the greenhouses, I told Nudge everything that happened in the Shrieking Shack. About Sirius, Lupin, and Pettigrew. Then what happened after Lupin transformed. When I finished, we were at the greenhouses, ready to sprint again to the forest.

Nudge looked absolutely disgusted. "I can't believe I thought that rat was cute!" she said, hopping from foot to foot and brushing her clothes off, as if wiping off all the times she's held Pettigrew as a rat. And Nudge didn't even once think I was making the story up. She believes everything I say, because she's just so trusting. Plus, I think the state me, Harry and Hermione were in kinda made the story more real for her.

"Where are Fang, Iggy and Ron?" she asked, still looking sick. "They couldn't go back with us," I said. "They were too hurt, but there fine!" I added when Nudge's eyes filled with tears. "They just couldn't go with us. The three of them are fine, sweetie," I said, pushing some of her uncontrollable hair behind her ear. She sniffed, and nodded.

When we were ready to run again, we sprinted as fast as we could to the forest. We skirted past the Whomping Willow, then rushed into the safely of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. When I suggested that me and Nudge could fly overhead and get to Buckbeak that way, Hermione shot me down. "You'll definitely be seen then!" she hissed. "And besides, we can't get Buckbeak right now. We have to wait until the Minister and the committee people see Buckbeak first, or else they'll think Hagrid set him free."

There's no arguing with Hermione's logic.

"We need to sneak over to Hagrid's," Nudge said, getting in with the plan. "Don't get seen!" Hermione added fiercely. "Stick to the trees!"

We silently walked through the trees, careful not to make too much noise. I looked around me to my friends- no, my family. Nudge looked like she doing all she could to not ask the questions that were undoubtedly running through her mind. Hermione was determined, yet anxious. Harry was- well, I couldn't tell. Maybe he was thinking about earlier at the lake where he saw his father and I saw my mother.

Yes, that's who I think saved us from the Dementors. I've seen pictures of James Potter, and from the light of the Patronus, I kinda saw his face. It looked just like him. Who else could it be? And even though I've never seen pictures of Grace, my mother, I was told I look just like her. And the Patronus put light on her face too, and who else would look like that?

But more on that later. Right now, we had a Hippogriff to save.

We moved fast, and when Hagrid's hut came into view, and came to a stop by a large oak tree. We saw Hagrid standing at his door, looking pale and shaky. "Poor Hagrid," Nudge whispered. I nodded, looking around me in case of some threat coming our way. I'm just paranoid like that.

Then we heard Fang's voice in the distance. "Hagrid! It's us!" Oh, such a man of many words.

"We're under the Cloak!" past-Harry hissed, and Hagrid frowned even more. Present Harry just seemed freaked that he heard his own voice.

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid howled, then he stepped out of the way. Then the door closed, and we all looked at each other. "I just heard you from over there... But your right here..." Nudge whispered, staring at Harry. She broke into a broad grin and squealed quietly, "This is so freaking awesome!"

"This is the strangest thing we've ever done," Harry said. "I couldn't agree more," I said.

"Let's move on," Hermione said. "We've got to get closer to Buckbeak!"

We crept quietly around the trees, until we were right in front of Buckbeak, who was tethered to the pumpkin patch, looking nervous. He didn't notice us, and I hoped he wouldn't. He could start a big fuss, make lot's of noise that was draw attention to us. Not something we wanted happening. Well, the flock are all skilled in sticking to the shadows, keeping the low profile.

Looking at Buckbeak, I realized how much the Gasman and Angel would just love him. My heart ached for being away from them for so long, but I knew it wasn't long before we got to see each other again. I wonder how they would take to me finding my father. Being the two youngest, and only real siblings, I think they were the ones that wanted to find their parents the most. Even though Angel was only five, she knew too much about what happens in the world.

"Now?" Harry whispered, eyeing Buckbeak with a fierce look.

"No! Remember what I just said to Max? The Committee people have to see Buckbeak. Or else they'll think Hagrid set him free. We have to wait until they see him tied outside," Hermione said. "That will give us about a minute," I said. Suddenly, things were starting to look impossible.

Right then, there was the loud crash from inside Hagrid's hut. It was Hagrid breaking the mug_. _Ina a minute, Hermione was going to find Scabbers's, and I was going to burn Iggy...

Sure enough, in a minute, we heard Hermione shriek, then Iggy cry in pain. I felt guilt boil through me all over again.

"Guys," Harry said suddenly, "What if I just run in and grab Pettigrew, then-"

"No!" Hermione snapped. "Don't you get it? We can't be seen! We're breaking one of the most important wizard laws! Nobody is meant to mess with time, no one! You head Dumbledore, if we're seen-"

"We'd only been seen by ourselves and Hagrid!" Harry insisted.

"Harry, what would you think if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows. Harry sighed, looking at Hagrid's hut. "I'd think- I'd think I'd gone mad," he said, "Or else that some Dark Magic was going on."

"Exactly!" Hermione said, waving her arms around, desperate for me, Harry and Nudge to see what was wrong with getting Pettigrew. "You wouldn't understand! You could even attack yourself! McGonagall told me some of the terrible things that has happened to people that have meddled with time. Loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves!"

Nudge looked disgusted with the thought, but then said, "But I'm not in there! I could run in and grab Pettigrew, then come back out!" I smiled, impressed by how fast Nudge was thinking. "You can't do that either! For one thing, how would you of known we were down there? We never told you about Buckbeak being executed today. And it's past curfew! You never break curfew! And why would you want Scabbers in the first place? I'm sorry Nudge, it was a good idea, but there would be too many questions asked. We can't be seen! And that goes for you too!" Hermione said.

I looked around again, still checking for any oncoming threats. I looked over in the direction of the castle, and groaned. "Trouble. Eleven o'clock," I said. Harry and Hermione looked at the castle, but Nudge looked the other way. I poked her shoulder, and pointed in the direction of the castle. She grinned at me sheepishly, and I winked at her. What, we never got any education! The mad scientists never thought about us ever having social lives, or successful carriers.

Anyway, enough bird-kid rambling. Dumbledore, Fudge, Macnair, and the Committee member were walking through the grounds towards Hagrid's hut. "We're about to come out!" Hermione whispered.

Sure enough, seconds later, the back door opened and I saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fang, Iggy and myself standing there with Hagrid. Seeing myself was...strange. Looking at me now, then at myself three hours ago, there was a huge change. Three-hours-ago-me was wearing the same clothes I was wearing, but they were clean, whereas mine were torn and filthy. Also, three-hours-ago-me's long, curly blond hair was clean of mud or blood. My hair now was so covered in mud it looked dark brown, with patches of blood in it from the cut on my forehead, which was now thankfully magically stitched closed.

We watched as we all gave Hagrid a big hug, then disappearing under the Invisibility Cloak. There was a knock on Hagrid's front door, and I heard the footsteps of the six of walking around the pumpkin patch. Eventually, our footsteps grew dimmer and dimmer until I couldn't hear them again.

The four of us, though, could hear what was being said inside Hagrid's hut through the back door.

"Where's the beast?" came Macnair's deep, unnerving voice.

"Out-outside," Hagrid chocked. I balled my hands into fists, wanting to kick Macnair into the middle of neck week. Actually, I wanted to do that to everyone in that hut, except for Hagrid and Dumbledore of course.

Then we heard Fudge's voice saying, "We have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid. I'll be sure to make it quick. And then you and Macnair will be required to sign it. And Macnair, your to listen as well. That's procedure..."

I stuck my head around the tree's, and looked at the windows in Hagrid's hut. I just looked in time to see Macnair's head disappearing from the window. "Wait here," Harry whispered, "I'll do it now."

"I'll help," I said, not liking the idea of a boy doing all the hard work. Harry looked like he was going to argue, but I was already sneaking slowly out from behind the trees, my footsteps silent. When Fudge started talking again, Harry followed me. His footsteps were much louder then mine. I rolled my eyes to myself. Ameture.

I hopped the fence surrounding the pumpkin patch, where Buckbeak was tied up and approached him.

"It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the hippogriff known as Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown..." came Fudge's voice from the hut.

Careful not to blink, I stared into Buckbeak's fierce orange eyes, looking so much like the sunset around me. When I felt Harry stand beside me, I nodded slowly without taking my eyes off Buckbeak. Together we both bowed. Buckbeak sank to his knees, then stood back up again. I ran forward, Harry right beside me, and we both started untying the tight knot on the rope. Every once in a while, our hands touched, sending tingles running through my body. I tried ignoring it, tried to focus on the task at hand.

"...sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Walden Macnair..."

"Come on Buckbeak... move your big feathery butt!" I snarled, tugging hard on the rope. "We're trying to help you!" Harry added, pulling on the rope with all his strength.

"...as witnessed below. Hagrid, you sign here.."

I threw my whole weight onto the rope, digging my heels into the dirt. Then I noticed that Buckbeak had done the same. "Oh...my...God..." I groaned, felling like my shoulders were going to pop from my sockets. Seeing as the whole flock were extraordinarily strong, this was something I wasn't used to. God, how much did Buckbeak weigh!

"Well, lets get it over with," came a old voice of the Committee member from inside Hagrid's house. "Hagrid, maybe it'll be best if you stay inside." Yeah, like that would happen.

As expected, Hagrid's answer was, "No. I- I wan' ter be with him," Hagrid said, sounding completely broken. That only made me more determined to free Buckbeak. "I don' wan' him ter be alone..."

Footsteps echoed inside the cabin. "Buckbeak I swear if you don't move right now-" I started, but then thankfully, Buckbeak started walking slowly, rustling his wings irritably. We were still about ten feet away from the edge of the forest, right in the middle of Hagrid's garden, in plain view of everyone that wanted to see us. Well, this seriously sucked.

"We need to move faster!" I hissed. "You think I don't know that?" Harry growled.

"One moment, please Macnair," Dumbledore was saying. "You need to sign as well." I let out a relieved breath, but didn't slow down. We still had to go faster, but Buckbeak still wasn't moving even half as fast as we needed. Nudge and Hermione's pale face's was sticking out from behind the trees. "Harry! Max! Hurry!" Hermione mouthed. "You think we're having a lovely stroll here?" I said quietly, dragging Buckbeak behind me. Buckbeak started to do a slow trot. Still wasn't fast enough, but it would do for a second.

Finally, we reached the trees. "Quick, quick!" Hermione said, grabbing the rope around Buckbeak's neck and pulling it as well. Nudge reached out as well, grabbing the rope and adding her weight to pulling Buckbeak along. I looked over my shoulder and it felt like a huge weight was lifted from my winged shoulders when I saw we were blocked from sight. I couldn't see Hagrid's house or garden.

"Stop!" Harry said, "They might hear us!"

Hagrid's back door opened with a bang. Me, Hermione, Harry and Nudge all remained motionless. Even Buckbeak was still and quiet. It seemed like he was listening intently. There was silence, then-

"Where is it?" Macnair shouted. "Where's the beast?"

"I saw it only a moment ago!" said the old Committee member. "I saw it! Just there!"

"How extraordinary," Dumbledore said, a hint on amusement in his voice. I rolled my eyes. Only Dumbledore.

"Beaky..." Hagrid said huskily as if he was chocking back his tears. There was a swishing noise, then the thud of an axe. It sounded like he swung it in anger into a pumpkin. Jeez, someone had anger problems.

Then came the howling. But this time, we could hear Hagrid's words through the sobs. "Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky yeh clever boy!" Buckbeak started pulling against the rope, trying to get to Hagrid. I dug my heels into the ground again and tightened my grip on the rope, the others doing the same.

"Someone untied him!" Macnair shouted. "We should search the grounds, the forest!" I shared a shocked look with Nudge, ready to run with Buckbeak if we needed to. Nudge looked like she was doing all she could not to say something. I gave her a look, and she nodded, focusing on keeping Buckbeak from running off.

"Macnair, if someone indeed set Buckbeak free, why would they let him go on foot? Search the skies if you must. Hagrid, if you will, I would like a nice cup of tea, or a large brandy," Dumbledore said, still sounding amused. "O'- o' course, Professor," Hagrid said, sounding overjoyed with happiness. It sounded so much different then before, I let my grip loosen for a moment. But only for a moment.

We waited and listened closely. We heard footsteps, the loud angry cursing of Macnair, then the snap of the door. Then silence.

"Now what?" Nudge asked, patting Buckbeak's head and cooing. "We'll need to hide here," I said, going into leader mode. "We've got to wait till gramp's and angry guy are gone back to the castle. Then we wait, and fly Buckbeak up to Sirius's window. He's not going to be there for another few hours..." I said. Hermione gasped and said, "This is going to be so difficult!"

"We're going to have to move," Harry said, "We need to see the Whomping Willow or else we won't know what's happening.

"Okay," Hermione said, tightening her grip on Buckbeak's rope. "Just remember we can't be seen!" We moved around the trees in the forest, darkness starting to fall around us, until we were hidden behind a huge clump of tree's and bushes close to the Whomping Willow, where we had a good view of what was happening. We waited a few seconds, then Nudge exclaimed, "There's Ron!" And sure enough there was Ron, running after Pettigrew in the darkness, shouting after him.

After another few seconds, I saw me, Harry, Hermione, Fang and Iggy appear from no where, sprinting after Ron. I watched myself throw the Cloak over at Harry, and sprinting ahead of the others. From where I was standing, I couldn't see anything on my back, not a bulge or anything. It looked like I was completely normal. If only.

_**You wouldn't be happy if you were normal, **_The Voice chimed in. **_Imagine how bored you would be. You wouldn't be Max without the wings._** I rolled my eyes, wondering if the Voice would be able to see it. "There's Sirius!" Harry said, pointing. The huge black dog bounded out from behind the branches of the Whomping Willow. We watched him jump over Harry, seize Ron...

"It looks even worse from here," Hermione gasped, watching with wide eyes. Nudge was looking at what was happening with her mouth open and her massive brown eyes wider then Hermione's.

"Ouch, Max just got hit by the Whomping Willow..." Harry said, observing what was happening. I looked at past me sprawled on the ground, groaning slightly. "Oh and now I did... So did everyone else...This is so freaking weird," Harry continued, his emerald eyes sparkling in the half light.

The Whomping Willow was swishing here and there, and the four of us stared as we watched ourselves darting here and there, getting hit by the branches, or else dodging them. Then the tree froze.

"That was Crookshanks pressing the knot," Hermione said. "And there we go," Harry said, "We're in."

"So what do we do now?" Nudge said. "We wait," I said simply. She nodded, then took my hand. I griped her's tightly, grinning at her. We've seen so little of each other this year. I was determined to change that. A moment later, the tree started moving again. Only seconds later, Dumbledore, Macnair, Fudge and Gramps were walking back to the castle.

"Only right after we went down the passage!" Hermione said, "If only Dumbledore could of come with us!" Harry frowned, then said, "Yeah, and Fudge and Macnair would of come too," he said. "I bet you my Firebolt Fudge would of ordered Macnair to murder Sirius on the spot."

"I wouldn't of let him," I growled. "But you didn't know he was innocent then," Hermione said. "Wouldn't of mattered," I said. "I still wouldn't of just let them kill him."

"And that's why your such a great leader, Max," Nudge said, smiling sweetly. I smirked at her. Nudge was just such a great kid. But honestly, that mouth of her's could turn Mrs Weasley into a mass murderer. It's just a good thing that she had so many kids to deal with.

For a few minutes, the scene was deserted. Then-

"There's Lupin," I said, watching as he strode frantically across the grounds. I looked up at the sky. The clouds were obscuring the moon entirely. If only I could run over to him, and remind him to take his potion. But of course, Hermione wouldn't let me do that.

Lupin bent over, and picked up a broken branch from the ground. He moved forward slightly, then prodded the knot on the trunk. The tree froze again, and Lupin disappeared into it.

"If only he grabbed the Cloak," Harry said, staring at it in the distance. "It's just lying there-" he stopped talking suddenly. I looked around, wondering if someone did something to him. But I couldn't hear or see anything unusual. "Hermione, what if I just run out and grab the Cloak? Snape would never be able to sneak up on us!"

"No!" Hermione nearly shouted. I was glad I didn't ask her if I could talk to Lupin. The look on her face was frightening. "We mustn't be seen! How many times do I have to say that?" "How can you stand there and not do anything?" Harry snapped fiercely. "Just standing there like nothing happened?" Harry hesitated, then stood up and said, "I'm going to get the Cloak."

"Harry no!"

Hermione reached out and grabbing the back of Harry's jumper. And not a moment too soon, if you ask me. Hagrid walked through the grounds, singing happily at the top of his voice, swinging a bottle from his hands. "See?" Hermione said, "See what would of happened? We need to stay out of sight. No Buckbeak!"

Buckbeak was making frantic attempts to get to Hagrid. The four of us held onto the rope tighter then before, ignoring the burning feeling in our hands. We waited until Hagrid slowly made his way to the castle, stumbling here and there. Then he was gone. Buckbeak stopped fighting. His head dropped sadly, and I patted him soothingly. "It's okay Beaky," I said, "You'll see Hagrid soon." Buckbeak stared at me with his orange eyes, as if questioning me. "I promise," I added. I don't know why I thought of it, but I shrugged my shoulder, and extended my wings. When he saw my wings (which are damn awesome if you ask me) he seemed to calm down.

I turned around and saw Harry staring at me with a strange expression. He was giving me a sort of half-grin thing that made my heart race. I blushed, and was glad that it was so dark here.

I decided to keep my wings out, because it was relaxing and comfortable. Nudge did the same, spreading out her tawny wings beside mine.

A few minutes later, the castle doors opened again. With my raptor vision, I was able to see that it was Snape, running towards the Whomping Willow. He looked like an extremely ugly bat with his cloak flapping behind him. A bat that needed a shower.

I saw Harry tense up when Snape skidded to a halt beside the Cloak. Snape grinned when he picked it up. He threw it over himself and disappeared from sight.

"And that's it," I said, "The whole gang are down there. Now we just wait till we all come back up again." Hermione stood up and tied Buckbeak's rope around the nearest tree.

"There's something I don't understand about your story," Nudge said, absently picking at the grass around her. "Why didn't the Dementors get Sirius?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that as well," Hermione said. "I remember seeing them, then passing out. There was so many of them..."

Harry and I shared a look. I know we both saw, and thought the same thing about what happened. But did we want to talk about it? _**Talking helps everything, Max, **_the Voice said. _Oh, aren't you fairly chatty tonight! _I thought. _**Talk things out, Max. It will help everything. **_**_Maybe you should tell Harry that for the future. _**the Voice said. I frowned. _Huh? _I thought. And of course, I got no answer.

I looked at Harry. He raised his eyebrows. I hesitated, then nodded slowly. He started telling Hermione and Nudge what happened and what we saw. Their jaws were hanging open when he stopped talking. "But what was it?" Nudge asked, referring to the bright silver light we saw. I noticed he left out the part about seeing my mother and his father. Hmm...

"A Patronus," I said. "A real one. A really powerful one." Hermione frowned. You could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "But who conjured it?" she asked. I looked over at Harry. I still didn't know how I could of seen my mother. It was impossible. She was dead, right? And so was James Potter.

"Did you see what they looked like?" Hermione insisted. "Was it teachers?"

"No. They weren't teachers," Harry said distantly. "Well, it must of been a really powerful wizard to drive away all the Dementors. If the Patronus's were shining so brightly, surely you must of seen something? Couldn't you see-?"

"Yeah, we saw them," I said. "We weren't thinking straight though. Passed out afterward..."

"Who do you think it was?" Nudge asked.

"I think-" Harry said, looking like he couldn't believe what he was going to say. "I think I saw my dad. And Max's mom." I looked over at Nudge and Hermione. Their jaws were even wider now then before. If that was possible. They were looking at us with expressions of alarm and pity. Two things I hated.

"But your dad, Harry... Max, your mom... Well, their dead." Hermione said quietly. "We know that," we both said at the same time. "You think you saw their ghosts?" Hermione asked. I shook my head. "No. They looked... well, solid."

"But then-"

"Maybe we were seeing things," Harry said. "But from what I saw, it looked like him. I've got pictures of him."

"Everyone said I look like my mom," I said. "She looked like me...but different."

Hermione and Nudge were staring at us like we were crazy. "I know it sounds mad," Harry said, staring at his shoes. I looked behind me and Buckbeak, who was running his beak through the ground, looking for worms. But I wasn't seeing Buckbeak. I was thinking about my father, and his three friends. The Marauders. Was it possible all four Marauders were at Hogwarts tonight? And my mother?

We waited in somewhat silence for over an hour. Nudge would sometimes try to pick up conversation, but it wouldn't last very long. After about half an hour, she started shivering from the cold so I pulled off my torn hoodie and put it around her shoulders. She smiled happily at me, and I sat down again. When I started feeling the cold, I just pulled my wings in around my body. It was warmer then any jumper or jacket any day.

Finally, after over an hour, we started hearing voices and footsteps from the Whomping Willow. "Here we come!" Hermione whispered anxiously. The four of us got to our feet cautiously. Even Buckbeak raised his head, knowing something was going to happen. We saw Fang, Iggy, and Pettigrew climb out awkwardly, then came Snape, his head on his chest, then Lupin, then Sirius, followed by me, Harry, Hermione and Ron. We all started walking to the castle.

I watched as I walked ahead of the others, toward Sirius with a spaced look on my face. Oh, so that's what Fang means when he says I look weird talking to the Voice. We watched as me and Sirius walked away from the others, so I could tell him about my wings. When I told him, I was too distracted about his reaction to notice how he looked. Well, lets just say he wasn't happy. He was _furious. _

He looked completely outraged. I wondered why I didn't see that before. _Oh,_ I thought, _Now I get it. _Sirius was so happy about having me and Harry back in his life that he wasn't going to let my past get in the way of it.

We watched as we all walked back up to the castle. I glanced up at the sky and gulped. Any minute now, that cloud was going to move aside and the moon would be in full view...

"Harry, there isn't anything we can do," Hermione said, "We've all got to stay put. We can't be seen."

"Jeez, Hermione that's your new catchphrase," I muttered. "Shut up," Hermione said.

"Are we just going to let Pettigrew escape again?" Harry said darkly. "How do you possibly expect to see a rat in the dark?" Hermione said, whipping her head around to stare at Harry. "So... Sirius is still going to be a fugitive?" Nudge said, looking at me out of the corner of her eyes. "Most likely...I'm sorry, Harry, Max," Hermione said, smiling sadly.

The moon slid out from under the cloud. We saw the small figures freeze, watching Lupin transform. I watched as I ran forward, trying to free Fang and Iggy. "Merlin, Max. That was so brave! You just ran in front of a werewolf!" Nudge gasped. "Thanks sweetie," I said. "Plus it's not like we haven't faced werewolves before." Nudge nodded, her big eyes on what was happening in front of us.

We watched as I freed Fang and Iggy, then as Lupin hit Iggy into the tree, Pettigrew hitting Fang with the rock, then cursing Ron. The as Sirius transformed, leaped at Lupin, then Lupin as he turned and started running towards-

"Guys, we need to move!" I said urgently. "No, Max, I keep telling you we can't interfere!" Hermione said. "It's not to interfere!" I said, climbing to my feet. "Wolf-Lupin is heading straight for us!" I shouted. Hermione gasped, and Harry said, "Crap! Move, now!" He grabbed Nudge's arm to pull her to her feet, as Hermione scrambled to untie Buckbeak. "Where do we go?" she asked. "The Dementors will be here any minute!"

"Back to Hagrid's!" Harry said, pulling Nudge to make her hurry up. She seemed in a daze watching Lupin. "It's empty now!"

We sprinted back to Hagrid's, Buckbeak trotting quickly behind us. We could hear the werewolf howling behind us. We reached Hagrid's cabin and I reached out and pulled the door open. "In! Fast!" I shouted. The other flashed by me, Buckbeak seeming happier now that he was back at Hagrid's. Fang the dog started barking from where he was lying in front of the fire.

"Shh Fang it's us!" Hermione said, rubbing Fang behind the ears. "That was really close," she said, turning back to us. "Yeah," Harry said, looking out the window.

I walked over and looked out the window beside Harry. I couldn't see much from here, even with my raptor vision. "We should go back outside," Harry said, squinting at the window. "Can't see what's happening from inside here." Hermione looked over at him, and eyebrow raised. "I won't interfere! But we have to know when it's time to save Sirius!" Harry said.

"Well, alright then," Hermione said. "I'll wait with Buckbeak. Be careful, Harry." she said. "I'm going to," I said. Hermione stared at me. "I won't interfere!" I snapped. "I'll stay here too," Nudge said. She stood us and handed me back my hoodie. "See you in a minute," I said, and opened the door, Harry hot at my heels.

We edged around the hut, as quietly as possible. We could hear yelping in the distance, meaning the Dementors were closing in on Sirius. Me, Harry and Hermione would be running down there any minute...

"Harry...whoever made the Patronus' would be there any minute," I said, grinning at the thought of meeting my mother and father in the same day. How freaking awesome would that be? Harry looked at me, a strange look playing across his face.

"We can't be seen," he said slowly. "But, honestly, we wouldn't be _seen_...We'd be doing the _seeing_... I really want to know, Max."

"I do too," I said. For a fraction of a second, we stood outside Hagrid's hut, not knowing what to do. And if you know me, that doesn't happen a lot.

Then there were the Dementors, gliding creepily through the darkness at every direction, towards the lake. I started running as hard as I could, Harry following me. I wasn't thinking about much except for my mom...if it was my mom...I hope it was my mom...I had to know...had to find out... I only started sprinting...

The lake was coming in closer and closer, but I couldn't see anything. On the opposite bank, I could see the silver lights of me and Harry's attempts at a Patronus. There was a large bush on the side of the lake, edging the water. Me and Harry threw ourselves behind it, waiting anxiously for someone to come. I peered over the bush, and saw myself falling on my side, gripping Harry's hand. A jolt of excitement shot through me. Any minute now, and I might see my mother... any minute now...

"Come on..."Harry whispered beside me, "Come on! Where are you, Dad? Come on!"

But no one was coming. On the opposite side of the lake, the Dementors were lowering their hoods, about to perform the kiss on us. It was around now that the rescuers appeared...But no one showed up...No one suddenly appeared...No one was coming to help...

Then it hit me like one of Gazzy's little mishaps, or namesakes. Don't ask about it...It's a tab bit disturbing...

I didn't see my mom, or Harry's dad performing the Patronus... I had seen me and Harry.

At the exact same time, Harry and I flung ourselves from behind the bush, pointing our wands at the Dementors.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!" _we shouted.

This was completely different from the other times we tried to do a Patronus. Out of the end of my wand, came not a shapeless shape but a dazzling silver animal. I squinted my eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a huge dog, but more...wolfy. It was a wolf. My patronus was a wolf.

Oh irony, you are a kick in the butt.

The blinding silver wolf was running away from us across the lake. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Harry's Patronus was an animal as well. It looked like a horse, but it had antlers. A stag? I frowned, then focused back on my own wolf. I saw it open it's mouth in a silent roar, charging for the Dementors on one side of the lake, while Harry's stag thing went on the other side. The Dementors were falling back, scattering all over...And they were gone.

The Patronus' turned and started running back to me and Harry. Now that Harry's was closer, I saw it was indeed a stag, and mine was a wolf. A female wolf by the looks of her. Harry stared at the stag with wide green eyes, and Harry whispered, "Prongs." I stared at him, smiling.

I looked back at my own Patronus. I stretched out my fingers to touch it, but before my fingers reached it, it vanished. So did Harry's stag.

I heard hooves behind me and turned around. Hermione and Nudge was standing behind me in the trees with Buckbeak. "What did you do?" she asked. "You were only meant to keep a lookout."

"We just saved all our lives," Harry said. "Come here, behind this bush, I'll tell you."

The four of us crouched behind the bush and Harry explained what we just did. "Did anyone see you?" Hermione asked, her mouth hanging open. "Only us," I said, pointing to me and Harry. "Oh, look Snape!" Nudge said, pointing behind us. True enough, Snape was making his way down to where past-us were lying unconscious. He started conjuring stretchers and lifting out limp forms onto them. Three other stretchers, with Ron, Fang and Iggy, were hovering behind him. With a wave of his wand, all the stretchers started moving back to the castle, Snape following.

"It's nearly time," Hermione said, checking her watch. "We have forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the hospital wings door. We need to save Sirius and get back before anyone realizes we were gone."

We waited, watching the clouds moving across the sky. Buckbeak started looking for worms again in the ground.

"D'you think he's there yet?" Harry asked. He turned around and started counting the windows to the right of the West Tower. "Look!" Hermione said, pointing. "Who's that?" Someone was walking from the castle towards the front gates. "It's Macnair," I said, seeing the glint of the shiny axe in his belt. "He's gone to get the Dementors. It's time, guys."

Nudge and I spread our wings wide, while Hermione placed her hands on Buckbeak's back. Harry crouched down and gave her a leg up on Buckbeak. Then Harry pushed himself up in front of her. He maneuvered the rope around Buckbeak's neck so they were like reins. "Ready?" he said. Nudge and I nodded, and Hermione put her arms around Harry's waist.

Nudge and I started running, then after ten steps, we leaped into the air, moving our wings up and down hard to keep us up. It felt amazing to be flying again. We didn't get much chances at Hogwarts.

My hair was whipping around in front of my face, and my face and hands stung from the cold night air, but it was all worth it to be flying again. Nudge was beside me, and Buckbeak was behind us with Harry and Hermione.

When we reached the West Tower, I started counting the windows. When I reached the right one, I backpedaled, waving my arms and legs stupidly. "Whoa!" Harry shouted behind me, trying to get Buckbeak to stop before we crashed into me and Nudge and make a bird-kid sandwich with the wall. "He's there!" Harry shouted. I went closer to the window, looking out in case I hit my wings against the wall, then tapped on the window.

Not the best move, but there you have it.

Sirius stood up, and his jaw dropped open. He started laughing when he saw me and Nudge, then Harry and Hermione on a Hippogriff. He jumped off the chair he was sitting in and tried to open it but it was locked.

"Move!" Nudge shouted, pulling her wand from her jeans pocket. "_Alohomora!" _she shouted, and the window burst open. "How-how?" Sirius gasped, staring at me and Nudge, then at the Hippogriff.

"Get on the Hippogriff, we're wasting time!" I said. "The Dementors are on their way to kiss you."

Sirius placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was lucky he was thin, or else he wouldn't of been able to get out. In seconds, he was able to climb onto Buckbeak behind Hermione. I started flying away again, and Buckbeak was rising away from the castle. I flew up to the top of the West Tower. I landed before the others, then Nudge landed, then Buckbeak. Harry, Hermione slid off him, but Sirius stayed on.

"Sirius, you should go," Harry said. "Any minute, their going to find out your not there. Go!"

"What happened to the other boys? Fang, Iggy, and Ron? And who are you?" he added, looking at Nudge. "They'll be alright. That's Nudge. Now go!" I said.

"I really am sorry about what happened to you," Sirius said, looking at me and Nudge. "I swear, I will try to stop them." He had the same furious look as before. "Yeah, that's all great and noble. Now leave!" Sirius smiled, then said, "How can I ever thank you-"

"_LEAVE!"_ the four of us shouted.

Sirius smiled again, and wheeled Buckbeak around.

"We'll see each other soon," Sirius said, looking at me and Harry in particular. "I promise. You really are your father's son, Harry. And Max- I can't be more proud of who you have become." He squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. The four of us jumped back so we woudn't get hit by Buckbeak's massive wings. Then Buckbeak flew off into the air... Him and Sirius became smaller and smaller. With my raptor vision, I was able to see them for longer then the others.

Then a cloud drifted over them and they were...gone.

_**I'm really sorry this chapter took so long. I've been really busy with homework, testes, my mom's birthday, day, then mothers day and everything else I've been doing! So I am SORRY! **_

__ _**Oh, and get this. We're doing magnetism in science at the moment, and the last day our teacher told us most birds have magnetite in their brains so they can know where they're going when they migrate. What if that's what the flock have for their direction thingy? I feel proud that I might of figured it out on my own :)**_

_**Anyway, this chapter is SUPER long and I hope you enjoy it! **_

_** Free butterbeer and cookies for everyone that reviews so...**_

_** REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_


	30. Going Home

**_AUTHORS NOTE :P_**

**_Hello! Okay, people have been asking me how many extra chapters there will be. To be honest, I have no idea. Maybe two or three, maybe less or maybe more. I'm not sure. But the extra chapters start after this one, because this is the last chapter in PoA, but it's not in my story! :D_**

**_Now to answer some reviews..._**

**_signofthemoon: No, Max is not going to be a metamorphmagus sorry, but not happening here. Maybe your story can of Max as a metamorphmagus. I really don't have many suggestions for you. Ask around if you can't think of anywhere to start :)_**

**_AnikaandAj: ah, yes, but when this story ends, the next one can begin ;) and I will try to update quicker, promise. _**

**_ And thank you to everyone else that reviewed! You all get free cookies and butterbeer now while you read this chapter! Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Max's POV<em>**

"Guys...We need to go!" Hermione was saying, tugging at my sleeve. "What? Oh, yeah, right," I said distantly, trying to keep back my tears. "We've got ten minutes to get back to the hospital wing without being seen. Before Dumbledore locks the door."

"Okay. Let's go," Harry said. I wasn't able to tell what he was thinking, or feeling. Which was strange because normally we always knew what the other was thinking. He didn't block me out like this unless he was doing serious thinking, though.

We ran through the door that was behind us, then down the spiraling staircase. It was too narrow for me and Nudge to fly down. When we reached the bottom, we heard footsteps and voices. We flattened ourselves against the wall and stayed completely still, listening. It sounded like Fudge and Snape, walking along the corridor at the bottom of the stairs.

"...only hoping Dumbledore won't cause difficulties," Snape said. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. I must admit, Snape, the whole Black business has been highly embarrassing. I am so looking forward to telling the Daily Prophet that we finally caught him. I daresay, they'd want to interview you, Snape. And once the children are back in their right minds, I except Mr Potter, and maybe Miss Ride would like to tell the Prophet how you saved them."

"Fat chance of that," I whispered. Hermione elbowed me in the ribs to shut up. "Ow!" I hissed. She gave me a look, and I stayed quiet.

I saw Snape's smirk as him and Fudge walked right passed our hiding place. I clenched my fists, but remained where I was. We went through too much to get caught now. Snape and Fudge's footsteps died away, but we stayed where we were an extra few minutes to make sure they were actually gone. Then we started sprinting again in the opposite direction. Down corridors, up and down staircases- then we heard a mad cackling ahead.

"Peeves!" Harry groaned. He grabbed my hand, and said, "In here!" then pushed me into a deserted classroom, then he pushed the Hermione and Nudge in after me. Just in time too, because in the next second, Peeves glided passed the classroom, laughing his head off, seemingly really excited about something. Didn't take a genius to figure out what he was excited about.

"Oh, he's horrible," Hermione said. "I bet he's happy because the Dementors are going to finish off Sirius." Exactly what I was thinking.

Hermione checked her watch again. "Three minutes!" she gasped. We waited until Peeves's laughter had faded away before running from the classroom. "What will happen if we don't get back in time?" I asked. "I'd rather not think about it!" Hermione said, checking her watch again. "One minute!"

We sprinted until we reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "I can hear Dumbledore!" Nudge said. "Come on!" Hermione said, running faster. We ran along the corridor, and the door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.

"I will lock you in," we heard him saying. "It's five minutes to midnight. Three turns should do it, I think. Good luck." He backed out of the room, then took out his wand to magically lock the door. Panicking slightly, we ran forward. Turning around, Dumbledore looked at us, smiling. "Well?" he asked, He didn't even looked surprised that Nudge was there.

"We did it," Harry said, out of breath, "Sirius and Buckbeak are gone." Dumbledore beamed at us,his eyes twinkling. "Well done," he said. "I think-" he stopped, then pressed his ear against the door of the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you should all go in now. I'll lock you in." We started walking forward, but then Dumbledore said, "I'm afraid you can't, Miss Weasley." I looked around, wondering who he was talking about, but remembered that Nudge took Weasley as her last name. "It would be best if you return to your dormitory. Too many questions will be asked."

"Okay," she said. I hugged her tight, and whispered in her ear, "I am so proud of you. You were amazing." She smiled at me, and said, "It was a lot of fun. Sirius seems like a really great guy. I hope we get to meet him again. And Buckbeak! He's just too cute! It's sad, though, that their not free yet. But they will be," she said, sounding determined. "Sirius and Buckbeak will be free one day. Then you can all live together." I smiled at her, "That would be great. But I'm not going anywhere without the flock."

Nudge smiled again, and Dumbledore said, "You really need to get inside." Nudge skipped away down the hallway, waving at us.

We slipped back into the hospital wing. It was empty except for Ron, Fang and Iggy. With the flocks super fast healing, Fang and Iggy should be feeling 100% in about an hour, but for now, they were all still out of it.

As the door locked behind us, me, Hermione and Harry went back into our beds. Not a minute later, Madam Pomfrey came back out. "Did I hear the Headmaster leaving? Am I allowed look after my patients now?" She was in a very bad mood. When she handed us chocolate, I took it gratefully. Madam Pomfrey stood over us to make sure we ate it. But none of us were really focusing on the chocolate. We were waiting, listening-

Then, when we were eating our fifth piece of chocolate, we heard a distant roar of fury from somewhere in the castle.

"What was that?" Madam Pomfrey asked in alarm. The voices were getting louder and angrier. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door, her eyebrows raised. "Now really," she was saying, "That will wake up the whole school! What do they think they're doing?"

I was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were coming closer-

"He must of Disapparated, Severus. We really should of left someone in the room with him. When this gets out-"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape shouted, sounding very close now, "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE WITHIN THE CASTLE WALLS! THIS-HAS-SOMETHING-TO-DO-WITH-POTTER-AND-RIDE!"

"Severus, be reasonable. Harry and Max were locked up-"

BOOM!

The door to the hospital wing burst open. I was doing all I could not to burst into fits of laughter. But that wouldn't really help anything, would it...

Fudge, Snape and Dumbledore came walking into the hospital wing. Dumbledore was looking quite calm. Actually, he looked like he was enjoying himself. I was glad that Nudge hadn't come running back.

Fudge looked angry, but Snape was so mad his shallow pale face was slowly turning purple. How long do you think he'd hold out until his heart gave out? I give him five minutes. Three, if I start talking to him.

"OUT WITH IT!" Snape screeched, looking at me and Harry. "WHAT DID YOU DO!"

"Professor Snape," Madam Pomfrey shouted, "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape," Fudge said, "The door was locked. We just saw so there."

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE!" Snape shouting, spit flying from his mouth. Gross. "I KNOW THEY DID!"

"Calm down!" Fudge barked. "You are talking complete and utter nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER AND RIDE!" Snape shouted. "OR THEM EITHER!" He added, pointing at Ron, Fang, and Iggy. Hermione, on the other hand was being ignored.

"That will do Severus," Dumbledore said. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left here ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" Madam Pomfrey said. "I would of heard them!"

"There you are, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly. "Unless you are saying that Harry, Hermione and Max are able to be at two places at once, along with three unconscious boys, I'm afraid I don't see the point of bothering them further."

Snape stood near my bed, seething. I was wanted to say some sassy, snarky remark but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Plus, having a mouth full of chocolate kind of makes talking a bit awkward. Snape was staring from Fudge, who seemed too shocked to say anything, to Dumbledore, who's eyes were twinkling happily behind his glasses. Snape whirled around, robes swishing around him, and stormed out of the hospital wing.

"The man seems quite unbalanced," Fudge said. "I'd watch out for him."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," Dumbledore said, "Just a man that suffered a huge disappointment."

"He's not the only one," Fudge said. Jeezum, this guy likes the sound of his own voice. Someone please shut him up!

"The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day!" Fudge went on. "We had Black cornered, and he slipped through our fingers once more. All I need now is the story of the Hippogriff's escape and I'd be a laughing stock. Well, I better got notify the Ministry..."

"And the Dementors?" Dumbledore asked. "They'll be removed from the school, I presume?"

"Oh, yes, they'll have to go," Fudge said, wringing his hands. "Never thought they'd try the kiss on innocent children. No, I'll have them packed off to Azkaban tonight..." And with that, the Minister of Magic and Dumbledore walked out of the hospital wing, with Fudge muttering to himself. Madam Pomfrey went over to the door and locked it again, then went back to her office.

At the same time, there were three low moans from the other side of the room. Fang, Ron and Iggy had woken up. The three of them sat up, looking around the hospital wing with confused looks. "What happened?" Iggy asked. "Why are we here? Where's Sirius? And Lupin? What's going on?"

"You can explain," I said, looking at Harry and Hermione as I threw another piece of chocolate into my mouth.

When we all got to leave the hospital wing the rest day at noon, the castle was completely deserted. The heat of the day and the buzz of the exams being over drove everyone to take full advantage of the next Hogsmeade weekend. None of us wanted to go, so the six of us, and Nudge, stayed out in the grounds, still talking about everything that happened last night.

We started wondering about where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. We we're sitting beside the lake, our feet in the shallow bit of the water, soaking up all the sun and looking at the giant squid splash lazily around.

I lost track of the conversation as I looked at the opposite of the lake. That's where my wolf had run across the water last night...

A shadow feel in front of us and we looked up to see Hagrid, looking bleary-eyed, mopping his sweaty face with his gigantic handkerchief. Hew as beaming down at us, looking happier then I've seen him look in months.

"Know I shouldn' feel happy after wha' happened las' night," Hagrid said. "I mean, Black escapin' again. But guess what?"

"What?" we asked, and I hoped we all looked clueless.

"Beaky!" Hagrid said, "He escaped! Bin celebrating all night!"

"That's great Hagrid," Nudge squealed, clapping her hands happily. We were all trained in the art of lying and acting. "It's wonderful!" Hermione said, kicking Ron when Hagrid wasn't looking because Ron like he was close to laughing his head off.

"Can't've tied him up properly," Hagrid said, his eyes shining with happiness. "Was worried this mornin' mind...thought he mighta run inter Professor Lupin in the forest. But Lupin said he didn't eat anthin' las' night..."

"What?" Iggy said quickly.

"Blimey! Yeh never heard!" Hagrid said, his smiled faltering a bit. He lowered his voice, even though there wasn't anyone around. "Er, Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'...Thought everyone'd know by now...Professor Lupin's a werewolf, you see. An' he was loose in the grounds las' night...He's packin' now, o' course..."

"He's packing?" I said, alarmed. "Why?"

"Leavin' isn't he?" Hagrid said, looking surprised that I asked something like that. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Said he can't risk it happening again."

I scrambled up to my feet. So did Harry. "I'm going to go talk to him," we both said at the exact time. I blushed, hoping it wasn't too noticeable. Thankfully, no one said anything about it. "But if he's resigned-"

"Doesn't sound like there's anything we can do-"

"I don't care," Harry said, "I still want to see him. See you back here."

Fang and Iggy tried getting up after me, but they weren't able. They were fine, but a bit weak at the moment. And Ron's leg wasn't the best either. I gave Hermione and Nudge looks that said, `keep them here or I'll kill you.'

Lupin's office door was open when me and Harry reached it. Most of things were already packed. Lupin was bending over something on his desk and only looked up when I knocked loudly on the door.

"I saw you coming," he said, smiling. I'm not going to sugar it for you guys, but Lupin looked like _hell. _He was thin, covered in bruises and scratches and scars. He looked absolutely terrible.

He moved out of the way, so we were able to see the Marauders Map on his desk. "We just saw Hagrid," Harry said. "He said you resigned. That's not true is it?"

"I'm afraid it is," Lupin said grimly. He started opening all his drawers, taking out the things that were in them. "Why?" I asked. "They don't think you have anything to do with Sirius getting away?"

Lupin finished packing one bag, then crossed to the door and closed it. "No," Lupin said, "Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives-"

"But that's what you were doing! You weren't trying to hurt us!" I said. "I know Max, but because I changed, that made everything else I did unimportant," Lupin said, then he sighed. "I guess that was the final straw for Severus. I think loosing the Order of Merlin must of got to him hard. So he- er, accidentally let slip that I was a werewolf at breakfast this morning."

"Accidentally my sweet patootie!" I said. "He did that on purpose because he's a stupid, jealous, arrogant-"

"Max," Lupin said calmly. "You don't have to start calling Severus names. After last night, I would of resigned anyway."

"But," I said, feeling childish, small, insignificant, unimportant and alone. "Your my godfather. You can't just leave after I found out. Sirius is gone, my mom is gone, Jeb is gone- why do you need to leave?"

"Max, I'm leaving Hogwarts," Lupin said, stepping closer to me. "I'm not leaving your life. And neither is Sirius. I have to go because this time tomorrow, the owls will start coming and parents won't want to have a werewolf teaching their kids. And I see their point. Last night, I could of bitten any of you. I nearly bit Max, and I did hurt Iggy." His eyes turned troubled and he asked, "Is he okay?" I nodded. Lupin looked relieved.

"Your the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Harry pleaded. "Don't leave!" Lupin just shook his head, didn't say anything. He just carried on emptying his drawers and clearing out his office. While I was thinking of a good argument to make, Lupin said, "From what the Headmaster told me, you two and the others saved a lot of lives last night. If I'm proud of anything this year, it's how much you learned. Tell me about your Patronus's."

"How did you find out about that?" I asked. "What else could of driven away the Dementors?" Lupin said. Together, me and Harry told Lupin what happened.

"Yes, your fathers Animagus was a stag. You guessed it right. That's why we called him Prongs,"Lupin said after we'd finished. "And your mother always had a fascination with wolves," he said, looking at me. Lupin threw the last of his books into his battered suitcase, closed all the drawers, then turned back to me and Harry.

"Here," he said, handing out the Invisibility Cloak. "I got this from the Shrieking Shack last night. And-" he turned around again and picked up the Marauders Map. "Seeing as I am no longer your teacher, I feel no guilt giving this back to you. Harry took the two of them, grinning.

"You told me Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs would've wanted to lure me from the castle. You said they would of thought it was funny," Harry said.

"And we would have," Lupin said, bending down to close his suitcase. "I have no hesitation in saying that James and Sirius would of both been extremely disappointed if their kids never found any secret passageways in the school."

There was a knock on the front door. Harry quickly stuffed the Marauders Map and Invisibility Cloak into his pocket.

It was Dumbledore. He didn't seem at all surprised to see my and Harry there."Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he said.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Lupin said. He picked up his suitcase, and the other bits and pieces he had around the office. "Well-goodbye, Harry, Max. It's been a real pleasure teaching you. I feel certain we will meet again. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage-"

I got the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as soon as possible. "Goodbye then, Remus," Dumbledore said. Him and Lupin shook hands, then Lupin smiled at me and Harry, then he left his office.

There were two chairs in the office, and at the same time, me and Harry sat into them. I was staring at the floor, not knowing what to think. Was it just me, or was everyone I cared about leaving, in some way or another?

"Why so miserable?" Dumbledore asked from beside the door. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I thought he left! "You two should be proud of what you did last night!" Dumbledore went on.

"It didn't make any difference," Harry said bitterly. "Pettigrew still got away."

"Didn't make any difference?" Dumbledore said quietly. "It made all the difference in the world. You helped uncover the truth! You saved an innocent man from a terrible truth!"

"What does it matter if we uncovered the truth when no one believes us?" I said. "What matters Max, is that _you_ know," Dumbledore said. I sighed, but didn't say anything.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, looking up suddenly. "Yesterday, during my Divination exam, Professor Trelawney went really- well, really strange."

I stared at Harry. Where did this come from?

"Indeed?" Dumbledore said. "Stranger then usual you mean?" I snorted loudly, quickly covering it with a cough when Harry sent me a look that said _not the time!_

"Yes," Harry said. "Her voice went all deep and her eyes were rolling and-" Harry stopped for a minute, wondering how to phrase the bombshell he was going to bring. I wonder how Dumbledore would react to Trelawney's prediction. Would he believe it?

"She said...she said Lord Voldemort was going to return. She said his servant was going to set out to return to Voldemort at midnight, and help him back to power," Harry said. "Then she became normal again and didn't remember anything that just happened. Was she making a real prediction?"

Dumbledore was looking mildly impressed. "You know what, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I think she was. Who'd of thought it. That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay raise..."

"But-" I started, bewildered. How was he taking this so calmly? We just told him that Voldemort was coming back!

"I stopped Sirius and Lupin from killing Pettigrew!" Harry said, looking ashamed of himself. "It's my fault if Voldemort comes back!"

"Of course it doesn't," Dumbledore said. "Has your experience with the Time-Turner not taught you anything?" Dumbledore was looking between me and Harry, as if I hadn't learned anything. Hey, I wasn't the one that said it!

"The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future in very difficult. Professor Trelawney is living proof of that. You did a noble thing in saving Pettigrew's life."

"But if he helps Voldemort come back-"

"Pettigrew now owes his life to you. You sent Voldemort a soldier in debt to you. When one wizard saves another wizards life, it creates a bond between them. And I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants a servant in debt to Harry Potter!" Dumbledore said.

"I don't want a connection with Pettigrew!" Harry said. "He betrayed my parents!"

"This is magic at it's deepest, Harry. Trust me, the time may come when you are glad you saved Pettigrew's life," Dumbledore said. I didn't thnik that would be any time soon.

"I knew your father very well, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Both at Hogwarts and after. He would of spared Pettigrew too. I'm sure of it."

Harry looked at Dumbledore, then at me, then back at Dumbledore.

"I thought it was my dad who conjured the Patronus," Harry said. He looked over at me, and I nodded. Dumbledore would understand, he wouldn't think it was weird, or laugh. "And Max thought she saw her mom conjure the other one. I mean, when we saw ourselves on the other side of the lake."

"An easy mistake to make," Dumbledore said, smiling happily. "I expect your tired of hearing it, Harry, but you look extraordinary like your father. And Max, I'm not sure you've heard it enough, but you looked exactly like Grace. I knew her as well, along with James and Lily and Sirius."

"It was stupid though," I said. "Thinking it was them. I mean, they're dead."

"Do you really think the ones we love ever truly leave us? You think we don't recall them more clearly then ever in times of trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and your mother is alive in you Max. They show themselves in times where you need them most. How else could you make the Patronus's you did? Prongs rode again last night, as did Grace in her favorite animal."

It took me a minute to realize what Dumbledore said. "How did you know-?" I started. "Sirius told me all about them becoming Animagi last night," Dumbledore explained. In a way Harry, your father was there, and Max's mother was there as well. They were there inside you."

Then Dumbledore left the office, his twinkling eyes bright and happy. He left me and Harry to our confused thoughts.

Not many people at Hogwarts knew the truth about what really happened that night when Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew disappeared except for me, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fang, Iggy, Nudge and Dumbledore. As expected, I heard many different theories about it buzzing around the school. Of course, none of them even came close to the truth.

Malfoy was absolutely furious about Buckbeak. He was convinced that Hagrid set him free some way, but when I asked him how Hagrid possibly set him free without being seen, he just went red, called me a Mudblood then hid behind Crabbe and Goyle in case I hit him.

Percy Weasley had much to say on the case of Sirius's escape. Butt head.

"If I manage to get into the Ministry, I'll have a lot of proposals to make about Magical Law Enforcement!" he kept saying to the only person that would listen, his girlfriend Penelope. God bless that girl.

Our entire Defense Against the Dark Arts class were miserable to see Lupin leave. And it wasn't only that that was weighting on my mind. I kept thinking about Trelawney's prediction, and where Pettigrew was now, whether or not he had met up with Voldemort yet. Whether Voldemort had returned to power. If I even had to face him again. I shivered every time I thought about it. Being possessed by him last year still gave me nightmares at night, when I got breaks from the ones about the School.

Harry seemed to be more miserable then usual. And I understood why. For a while, he thought he was going to get to live with Sirius. Now that won't happen, and Harry has to go back to his awful relatives. How Harry could be related to people like the Dursley's was beyond me. Now Harry kept thinking about the house he could of had, the new life he would have with Sirius.

I was even getting miserable thinking that for maybe an hour, I had a father that accepted me for the freak that I was. Now he was gone. I wondered if we would ever see Sirius again...

On the last day of term, we got our results back. We all passed everything, with Hermione doing the best in the year, and me coming in third or fourth, after some Ravenclaws. One of them I think was Ethan. I was surprised that I passed Potions, but I guessed Dumbledore made Snape give us fair grades, and not fail us on purpose.

Actually, Snape's behavior towards me, Harry and the others over the last week was quite alarming. I didn't think he could hate us all more, but it most definitely had. Seriously, every time he sees me his fist clenches, like he's resisting the urge to hit me or something.

Percy got top-grades in his N.E.W.T's, and Fred and George each scraped a handful of O.W.L's. Meanwhile, Gryffindor House, thanks to the excellent performance in the Quidditch Cup final, won the House Cup for the third year running. This meant that the end of term feast was decorated with the Gryffindor colours of red and gold. The Gryffindor table was the loudest, as everyone was celebrating.

The next morning, when the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, Hermione had some surprising news for me, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fang and Iggy. "I went to McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."

"But you passed that exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" Fang said. "I know," Hermione sighed. "But I couldn't go through another year that this one. The Time-Turner was driving me mad! I handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I have a normal schedule again."

"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it," Iggy pouted, "We're meant to be friends!"

"Yeah, but McGonagall made Hermione swear not to tell anyone!" Nudge said, sitting down beside me after saying bye to her friends. She wanted to sit in our compartment on the ride back. "Exactly. Thank you, Nudge," Hermione said, smiling. I turned to my other side to see Harry staring out the window of the train, watching Hogwarts disappear behind the mountains.

"Oh, cheer up, Harry!" Ron said.

"I'm fine," Harry said. "Just thinking about the holidays."

"I've been thinking about them too," Ron said. "Harry, you've got to come and stay with us this year! I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I could use the fellyphone-"

"Telephone, Ronald," I said, rolling my eyes.

Ron ignored me.

"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer," Ron said, grinning like a loon. "How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Hermione, you can come too! Dad can usually get tickets at work.

That clearly cheered Harry up considerably. "I bet the Dursley's will be happy with that," he said, smirking. "Especially after what I did to Aunt Marge..."

We started playing Exploding Snap, all of us playing and talking and laughing. When the witch with the tea cart arrived, Harry bought us all food. I bought the flock loads of food, 'cause we needs lots.

It was late in the afternoon when Harry really became happy and cheerful. "Harry," Nudge said, eating a Chocolate Frog, "What's that at your window?" We all turned around to look out the window. There was a tiny owl outside the window, fluttering it's tiny wings frantically. The owl was so small that it kept tumbling over in mid-air. It was actually very cute. And knowing me, I don't say that very much.

Harry quickly opened the window, stretched out his arm and caught it. It probably wasn't bigger then a Snitch. Harry brought it inside, and let it fall onto his lap with a letter tied to his leg. The tiny owl started flying around our compartment, hooting and squealing in happiness that he had successfully delivered a letter. Harry picked up the letter, opened it and grinned.

"It's to me and Max from Sirius!" he said.

"What?" I said, sitting beside him. "Read it!"

"Dear Harry and Max,

I hope you get this before you separate for the summer. Buckbeak and I are in hiding, but I won't tell you where in case this owl falls into wrong hands. I doubt his reliability, but he was the only one I could find, and seemed eager for the job.  
>I think the Dementors are still looking fro me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I'm going to let some Muggles see me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so the security on the castle will be lifted.<br>There's something I never got to tell you two- I sent Max the guitar, and I sent Harry the Firebolt-"

"Ha!" Hermione said, "See! I knew it was from him!"

"Yeah, but was he trying to kill Harry with it? No," Iggy said. Harry kept reading.

"Crookshanks took the order in for me. I played guitar myself when I was younger, and thought you would like it Max,, and I knew your old broom broke, Harry. I would also like to apologize to you, Harry, for the fright I gave you that night you left your uncles house. I only hoped to see you, but I think the sight of me scared you. Sorry.  
>I'm enclosing something for both of you that I hope you will both like.<br>If you ever need me, just write. Your owls will be able to find me.  
>I'll write again soon,<br>Sirius."

Harry looked into the envelope and took out a piece of parchment. He read it, and smiled. Then he handed it to me, and looked through the envelope again. On the parchment he handed me was,

_I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends. _

I turned to give it back to him, and found him looking at pictures. "I think these are for you," Harry said, handing me the pictures. My heart seemed to stop. I took the pictures in shaky hands. They were the wizard pictures, the ones that move. The first one was of a much younger and more handsome Sirius, with an older looking version of me. _That's my mom,_ I thought, staring at her. She was beautiful. Long blonde hair, huge brown eyes, and a great figure.

All the pictures were of Sirius and my mom. In some of them were more people, some of them I recognized as Lupin, James Potter, and a gorgeous woman with emerald eyes that could only be Harry's mom. There was one where my mom was clearly pregnant, and Sirius looked so happy in the picture.

I stared at them for the rest of the journey, handing them around the compartment for the others to see. Harry was staring happily at the permission form. "That's good enough for Dumbledore," he said. I looked over at him, and he was still looking at the parchment. "Hang on, there's a P.S..." he said. "I thought your friend Ron might like to keep the owl, because it's my fault he doesn't have a rat anymore," Harry read.

Ron's eyes widened, and he stared at the owl shooting around the compartment. "Keep him?" he said. He stared at the owl for a second, then to everyone's surprise, he picked up Crookshanks and held it close to the owl. "What do you think?" he said, "Definitely owl?" Crookshanks purred happily. "Good enough for me," Ron said, standing up to grab the owl from the air. "He's mine."

I was staring at the pictures over and over again, smiling. I had them all stuffed in my pocket when the train pulled to a stop in Kings Cross station. We stepped through the barrier of platform nine and three quarters. I immediately spotted the Weasley's, who had Angel and the Gasman with them. I ran as fast as I could over to them, Angel running towards me as well. I dropped my bag and trunk, picked her up and spun her around, holding her close to me. "Oh, Angel I missed you so much," I said.

"I missed you too, Max," Angel said, looking at me with her bright blue eyes. Her blonde curls were tied up in cute piggy-tails. I let her down, then hugged the Gasman. "Hey, Gazzy. Have you been good? Blow up anything?" I said, smiling at him, ruffling his messy blonde hair. "I might have blown up the broom shed," he said, smiling innocently. I stared at him, about to lecture him, but he said, "I asked Mr Weasley first! He wanted to see how a bomb worked, so we emptied it, then after we blew it up, he fixed it with magic!"

"Fine. But do that anymore if you want to blow something up," I said. "Ask first." I grinned at him, and said, "Ah, I've missed you!" And I hugged him again.

After hugging Mr and Mrs Weasley, and after everyone else had greeted everyone else, I saw that Harry was eyeing someone a distance away. It was him relatives, the Dursley's. It was hard to miss them actually, his uncle and cousin were just so big.

"I'll call about the World Cup!" Ron shouted after Harry as he walked away towards his family. I ran up to him, and grabbed his arm. I saw him uncle give me a strange look, but I really couldn't care less. "Think of leaving without saying bye?" I said in a teasing voice. Harry grinned, and pulled me into a tight hug. "If your not going to come to the World Cup, I'm going to find you and drag your skinny ass to the Burrow. Understood?"

Harry laughed and nodded. "I'll see you, Max. Soon." I grinned at him, and without thinking, I kissed his cheek. His cheek flushed, and so did mine, but I just turned my back on him, walking back to my family.

But one member of my family wasn't there.

"Where's Angel?" I asked, looking around frantically. Mrs Weasley stared around, going on tip-toes to see over the crowed. "Oh, dear!" Mrs Weasley said, looking worried. "Where could she have gone!"

"Max," the Gasman said, pointing. I turned around, just in time to see Angel walking out of the station. "Stay here," I said, handing my wand to Fang because it was sticking into my leg, "I'll bring her back."

"Be careful!" Mrs Weasley called after me. I started running, dodging people and suitcases. I ran passed Harry and his aunt and uncle, but didn't slow down. Who knew where Angel was going?

I went outside, and saw Angel going into an alley way. Where the hell was she going?

I raced into the alley way after her, and heard her soft, sing-songy voice saying, "Here doggy, doggy. Here doggy doggy!" Oh for crying out loud. She gave us all a heart attack because of a dog! She was so getting a talking to.

I saw her approach a small, black Scottie, still calling after him. "Angel," I called. She turned around, the little dog in her arms. "Don't just run off like that! We all got really worried!" She looked sorry, and well- angelic. But then her face turned scared, and she screamed, "Max! Run!"

Before I could respond, I felt a needle sinking into my neck. Everything started getting fuzzy, and I was getting tunnel-vision. Angel was screaming, the dog was yelping. I feel onto the floor, cracking my head against the floor, then there was nothing.

_**Heya! Two updates in two days! Not to shabby!**_

**_Anyone getting why there's going to be a few extra chapters? And I brought in Total! Sorry if you didn't figure it out yourself. But that's why Angel ran off, and why Max followed her, and why she got knocked out and so on so forth... _**

**_Anyway, free cookies and butterbeer for everyone who reviews so..._**

**_REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_**

**_LoVe YoU!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	31. Back To Hell

**_AUTHORS NOTE :P_**

**_Sup everyone! Here's one of the extra chapters with Max and Angel in the School..._**

**_Now to answer some reviews..._**

**_AnikaandAj: you are just gonna have to read and find out... ;)_**

**_Signofthemoon: I know same. I've been trying to think of a way for him to come into the stories sense I started, and this was the perfect time to do it :D_**

**_max artemis potter: thank you, I try *blushes and giggles* glad everyone likes it :)_**

**_And thank you to everyone else that reviewed! Enjoy the cookies and butterbeer as you read this chapter :D_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

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><p><em><strong>Max's POV<strong>_

My head ached. I felt like there was an anvil on my chest. The smell of anesthetic was sicking. I felt cold, and there was metal pushing into every part of my body. I opened my eyes, hissing at the sudden bright lights. I blinked a few times, and when I was able to see properly, I looked around me.

I was in a cage.

Angel was in one beside me.

The dog she tried to get was in one across the room.

And, worst of all, we were back in the School. Just thought I'd say that for those who haven't figured it out yet.

Angel still wasn't awake yet. She was lying motionless in her cage, multiple small pink dots on her neck. I felt my blood boiling at the sight of it. Screw what they did to me! They hurt my baby!

I don't know how long I lay in my cage, trying to block out all the memories that were threatening to invade my mind. I screwed my eyes shut tight, my hands against my ears, trying to think of anything but of where I was. Of course, that was about as easy as convincing Fang to wear pink.

"Max?" A small, tired voice said from beside me. I turned my head to see that Angel was awake, looking terrified. "Where are we?" She already knew the answer to that though. "The School, sweetie," I told her anyway, hoping I didn't sound weak of pathetic. "But we'll get out. I promise." Angel nodded, biting on her lip so she wouldn't cry. Even though she was only four (nearly five) she had seen much more then most people see in their entire lifetimes. Because of it, she was much tougher.

"Are you okay?" Angel asked, her blue eyes concerned. I nearly laughed at the irony of it. She was four years old, asking me (thirteen years old) if I was alright! I should be asking her. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said. "What about you? Did they hurt you bad?" Angel shook her head, her curls bouncing on her head. "They hurt you more," she said. "When you got knocked out first, you banged your head against the floor. It's bruised a bit, not nothing too bad. Then the second time-"

"Wait, what?" I said, interrupting her. "The second time?"

"Well, yeah," Angel said. "We're at the School. In America. We we're put on a plane, then you woke up before we landed, and started beating up all the whitecoats. They sedated you again, then chained you up. Your wrists are all messed up." I stared at her, then down at my wrists. True enough, there were raw cuts on my wrists, from a rope. I don't know why I didn't feel it until now. It was actually quite painful.

"How do you know all that?" I asked. Sometimes, Angel can be a bit freaky with her mind-reading abilities. "I woke up on the plane before you. I saw the whole thing, I just didn't move so they didn't know I was awake."

"That was smart, Ange," I said. "But why can't I remember?" Angel frowned, and said, "Maybe the sedative hadn't worn off properly. Remember when that happened to Iggy after he became blind?"

I winced, remembering that terrible day. Iggy had been taken away early in the morning, and didn't come back until late at night. He had bandages over his eyes, and we were all worried about him because he hadn't moved or woken up. Then, he moved, and started screaming. Loud. It was like he was being tortured. He was kicking and lashing out against the cage, only injuring himself more. He managed to rip off the bandages around his eyes, making him scream worse. His skin around his eyes was terrible, all scarred and horrible looking.  
>When Iggy was able to open his eyes, a few hours later, that was when we knew he was blind. Before the operation, his eyes had been a dark blue, sometimes they looked grey, but after they were so bright they almost looked white. Oh, yeah, and the fact that he couldn't <em>see<em> anything was another big hint.

"Total!" Angel suddenly cried. "What?" I asked. Angel sat up straighter, and pointed at the dog. "Total!"

"How do you know it's called Total?" I asked, eyeing the dog suspiciously. He (I think it was a he) was still asleep, his little legs moving back and forward, as if he was running. "It's on his tag," Angel said. "Okay, yeah, about running off to get him-" I started, but Angel cut me off. "I know it was wrong," she said, "I should of said something. But he was so cute, and so scared, I just wanted to get to him as fast as I could." She looked really ashamed, wringing the bottom of her dirty shirt between her fingers.

"It's alright Angel, just don't do it again. Tell someone before you go running off," I said. She nodded, looking happy that I wasn't any more mad then that.

That was when I noticed I wasn't in the same clothes I was in when I got off the Hogwarts Express. I was in the old, traditional School get-up. A white tank-top and blue shorts. So was Angel. As far as I could see, me her and Total were the only ones in this room, unless there were some invisible mutants hanging around.

"I wonder why they were in London," Angel said after a few minutes silence. "Looking for us," I said bluntly. No one said anything for a while after that.

What seemed like half an hour, Angel gasped, and pressed her fingers through her cage, as if reaching to touch mine. "Max!" she said, looking excited. "Do you have your wand? You could, like, magic us out or something?" she said, her little sweet face splitting into a grin. _Yeah, like I haven't thought of that,_ I thought to myself, quietly so Angel wouldn't be able to read it. "I don't have it honey," I said, "I gave it to Fang before I ran after you." Angel's face fell, and it hurt my face to see her so disappointed.

"I'm sorry," she said, sounding close to tears. "It's all my fault."

"No it's not," I said, sitting up and putting my fingers through the bars on my cage, like she did, trying to touch her fingers. We nearly managed it. Nearly. "You did what you thought was right. And I am proud that you wanted to help someone. Even if that someone is a dog," I said, looking at Total, who was still snoring in his cage. Angel smiled sadly at me.

_**(AN: Angel is italics, Max is italics underlined. Just in case I didn't make it easy to follow)**_

_How are we getting out of here? _I heard in my head. It wasn't my own voice, it wasn't the Voice. I looked over at Angel, and saw her grinning smugly. _I've been practicing it all year,_ she said to me- well, thought to me- _I wanted to surprise you. _

_Well, you've definitely done that, Angel,_ I thought back. She smiled sheepishly. _So how are we getting out?_

_I'll think of something,_ I thought. In other words, I didn't have a freaking clue.

I don't know how long we were in the School before someone actually came in to see us. It was a whitecoat, but one I didn't recognize. Ah, so they did some recruiting. How nice for them.

He didn't say anything to us, he just stared at me through the bars of my cage, wrote something on his clipboard, then did the same at Angel and Total's cage. Seriously, they were checking a dog? I was starting the wondering why they even brought the dog in the first place.

"What does a girl have to do to get some food in this joint?" I called after the newbie as he started walking towards the door. He turned around, looking nervous. Jeez, this newbie must be a super newbie. Intern newbie.

"Er, your- your not meant to eat. Your meant to be fasting," he said, sweating slightly. Clearly, he wasn't used to the children he experimented on talking to him. Or having an attitude. Hmm, you'd think they'd put that in the contract.

"Fasting?" I said, frowning. "But your only meant to fast if your-" Then it hit me. You only fast before you have an operation. They were going to operate on me. Oh holy moly.

* * *

><p>Apparently, before my super-mysteries operation, I had to do a few tests first. They came into our room- sorry, I mean our prison cell- what I thought might of been the next morning. It was hard to keep track of time in this hell hole. My thoughts keep wandering to the flock, and the Weasleys. Had they figured out what happened yet? Were the flock getting ready to fly over here to try and bust us out? I hope not. I'd get me and Angel out myself. And Total, if I really had to.<p>

When the same newbie from before came into my room, fear made my blood go cold. Was it time already? Were they doing to make me blind like they did to Iggy? Of course, he can see now, but that was after five years of not being able to see squat.

But he opened the door to my cage, and I shared a look with Angel, telling her silently not to do anything while I was gone. She gave the smallest of nods, so only I'd see it. I climbed out of my cage slowly and cautiously, and when I was out, I stepped away from the whitecoat.

He hadn't brought in needles, or a gurney, or velcro straps, all the things they always bring in before one of us were brought to be experimented on under the knife. I let a breath of relief. I wasn't getting operated on just yet. But how long did I have?

"Please," Newbie said, pointing to the door. "No, after you," I said sweetly. Newbie looked confused, but lead the way towards the door. As I walked out behind him, I held up two fingers on my right hand, then one on my left hand. The flocks signal for `wait for me'.

He led me around the School that I knew so well. Everything seemed different to me now though. I don't know what it was, but some of the things that terrified me as a child didn't scare me anymore. It was like, yeah, okay brain on a stick. Whateve.

"So," I said, "Where are we going?"

"Training Room 3," Newbie said, trying not to look at me. As I observed him, I noticed he wasn't just nervous. He was scared. He seemed guilty. "Something wrong, Newbie?" I asked as we strolled down Death Row. He stopped walking suddenly, and he grabbed my shoulders, pulling me back to face him. "How old are you?" he asked, staring at me intently.

"Thirteen," I answered, shocked by this sudden change in character. He let out a breath, and ran hands through his short blonde hair. "Why? How old are you?" I asked, realizing that we was way younger then any other whitecoat I've ever seen. "Twenty-one," he answered. "And how old is the little girl with you?"

"Four," I said, not knowing why any of this was important. Whitecoats never cared. Never.

The guy suddenly turned around angrily and punched the wall behind him. "What the hell?" I cried, backing away from him.

"I never wanted this!" he said, sounding defeated. "I wanted to be a vet! But that wasn't good enough for my father! He wanted me to follow in his footsteps and hurt innocent kids!"

I stared at him, not believing what I was hearing. Was this all part of a test? What was I meant to do? "Why didn't to tell him to shove his career up his-" I started to say, but the guys just shouted, "You think I didn't! You think I didn't try to get out of this! I tried!"

This guy was seriously freaking me out. "Then leave!" I shouted back. "Leave, go to a different state, change your name! Become a vet!" Honestly, I was just desperate to get away from this guy and his wacky family problems. Ha, he thought he had family problems? Less then a week ago, my father escaped getting his soul getting sucked from his body by riding away on a Hippogriff. That's a dramatic family.

"He'd find me," the guy said quietly. Before I could tell him to act like a man, a buzzing sound filled the corridor. Newbie pulled a pager from his pocket and cursed under his breath. "We're late. I'll just tell them you weren't cooperating. Come on." And just like that, our somewhat touchy-feeling conversation was forgotten.

When we reached Training Room 3, Newbie grabbed my arm, opened the door and pushed me roughly inside. "What took you so long?" asked a man that was most-likely Newbie's dad. "Sorry, sir," Newbie said. Who calls their dad sir? It just seems wrong somehow... "It was being uncooperative." he said.

"I wasn't so uncooperative when we were in that corridor, talking about-" I started to say, feeling angry that he called me an `it'. But he pinched my arm (that he was still holding) and when I hissed in pain, he pushed me forward again. Not expecting it, I ended up sprawled on the floor. Newbie left the room, leaving with his creepy dad, and other oldish whitecoats I didn't know.

"And this is Subject 1?" one of the women whitecoats asked. "Yes. And we have Subject Six here as well," another whitecoat said. There were many excited mutterings about that. Yeah, Angel was great we get it!

"Yeah, so why am I here?" I asked, standing up. "We're going to test your fitness level, stamina, balance, fighting ability, your ability to break codes and intelligence," Headhunter sneered.

"Really? That it? Well, the last one will be tricky, but I'll try my best!" I said in a clearly fake cheerful voice. They all just glared at me. Yup, that me, the button-pusher.

For the fitness level test, I was made to run the length of the room (and the room was HUGE by the way) as many times as I could. The catch? If I didn't run it more then fifty times, up and down, they were going to hurt me badly. They didn't say what they'd do, but the hopeful gleam in their eyes was enough for me to run as much as I could. I ran up and down the hall ninety times in total, before collapsing in an exhausted heap in front of the whitecoats feet.

I got to drink some water while they set up for my stamina test. "What do I have to do for this one?" I asked, just wanting to get back to Angel. I hope they didn't take her away for tests like these after I left.

"For the stamina test, we are going to bring in an Eraser and see how long you last with him clawing different parts of your body slowly, starting with your stomach," Headhunter said casually, as if I asked him about the weather. I spat out the water that was in my mouth, and was satisfied that it landed on his shoes. Hope they weren't water-proof.

"What?" I shrieked, forgetting about being cool and collected. "You heard me. Bill, tie her up," he said. Another whitecoat came up behind me, and grabbed my hands, pulling them behind my back. He tied up my already scrapped up wrists, then my legs. When he started putting cloth closer and closer to my mouth, I jerked back, which hurt because my wings were forced tightly against my back by my hands.

"What the hell are you doing?" I said, staring at him like he had three heads. He may as well has, to make up for having no heart.

"Covering your mouth, idiot," he spat. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"How would you know if I can't take any more?" I asked, slowly scooting away from him. "I guess we'll find out when the time comes," he said, smiling gleefully. He reached towards me, grabbed a fist full of my hair and pulled my head back hard. I cried out, and thats when he stuffed the cloth into my mouth. He let me drop as if I was nothing more then a useless sack of potatoes.

Then the door opened and an Eraser walked in, grinning happily.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Fang's POV<strong>_

The Burrow was a thoroughly miserable place. Everyone was angry, depressed, and didn't know what to do. Mr Weasley left for the Ministry as soon as we realized Angel and Max weren't coming back, and hadn't been back since. Fred and George weren't joking like they usually did. They just stayed in their rooms, unless if they had to eat. Mrs Weasley was a wreck, crying all the time, looking hopeless and helpless. Ginny stayed curled up on the couch, a distant look on her face. I tried not to notice how pretty she looked with her hair hanging over her shoulders. Ron wasn't talking to anyone. He just stayed in his room with his new tiny owl.

Nudge wasn't talking all the time, the Gasman wasn't trying to blow anything up, Iggy wasn't making sexist jokes, Percy wasn't being annoying and pompous. And I just hadn't said more then a few words since we got back.

I looked over at Max's trunk and bag, and her owl Freedom. I still had her wand in my pocket. I didn't want anything to happen to it, so I kept it beside mine all the time. That afternoon, I got all the members of the flock that were left out into the garden. We needed to get Max and Angel back.

"We need to go after them," Iggy said before I could.

"But where are they?" Gazzy asked. I knew the answer, but really hoped I was wrong. "The School," I said.

The Gasman gasped, Nudge's eyes filled with tears, and Iggy remained emotionless. Maybe he was learning something from me after all. "But...I thought we were safe!" Gazzy said. I shook my head. "No. They never stopped looking for us," I said, hating being the person that had to tell them all this. "Erasers attacked Max at Hogwarts this year. She saw another one at a Quidditch match. We weren't safe."

"So what do we do?" Nudge asked. "We go after them," Iggy said, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Nudge rolled her eyes, something she learned from Max. That just made me more depressed. "We can't fly over to America! Do you have any idea how long that would take? And it's not like we can take a break whenever we need to!" Nudge was definitely spending too much time with Hermione.

"What other choice do we have?" Iggy shouted. "What about an airplane?" Gazzy offered. He looked so much like Angel that it took everything I had not let my eyes water a tiny bit. "Not enough time," I said, putting my hand comfortingly on the Gasman's shoulder.

"So we're flying? Ourselves?" Nudge said, her eyes wide. "If everyone up for it," I said. "I'll pack loads of energy drinks and sugar bars," I added. That seemed to change their opinion. Everyone was nodding, looking excited.

"Now," I said, leading everyone back inside, "We just need to leave without Mrs Weasley, or any of the others, notice what we're doing. They'll definitely try to stop up, and we don't have that much time." God, I didn't know how much talking Max had to do as leader! It was terrible!

When we went back into the Burrow, no one was in the kitchen or the sitting room. I wonder if Ginny was alright... I shook my head, clearing my head. I turned around to Nudge and said, "Nudge, go upstairs and get a small bag for each of us. Bring some of the Muggle medical supplies that are in the bathroom. Bring them back down here and I'll fill them with food." Nudge nodded and ran quickly and quietly upstairs. I turned to Iggy and Gazzy, "And you guys," I said, hating all this talking. "Go outside, into the paddock in the back. Wait there for us. Make sure no one sees you from the windows."

Iggy and Gazzy nodded, then left the kitchen. I started getting food and drinks from the cupboards. It felt like I was stealing from the Weasley's, but I pushed the feeling down and waited for Nudge to come back down.

I told her the same thing I told Gazzy and Iggy, and she left quickly. I stuffed all the food and drinks into the bags, spreading them around all the bags so no one had too much to carry. I grabbed them, listened for a moment, trying to tell where everyone was. I could hear Mrs Weasley's voice coming from Ginny's room. I made for the door, but hesitated when I saw some parchment thrown on a table beside the door.

I grabbed the parchment, the quill beside it, and quickly scribbled,

_Mrs and Mr Weasley,_

_We went to America to get Max and Angel. Don't worry, we'll be back soon. Bye. Fang._

Okay, so I'm not great with goodbye letters. I'm just glad that this is the first, and hopefully, the last. I left the letter on the table in the kitchen, propped against the flowers Angel and the Gasman picked for Mrs Weasley yesterday. She would definitely see it that way.

When I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, I quietly opened the door, closed it behind me, then sprinted back to the paddock where the mini flock was waiting for me. "Let's go!" I said. We spread our wings, took a running start, then leaped into the air. Ah, nothing like the feeling of stretching your wings after keeping them tight against your back for hours.

I turned to the Gasman and Iggy, who always flew close to each other, and asked, "Did you guys manage to sneak out any bombs?"

Gazzy blushed, and Iggy started whistling innocently. Yeah, like Iggy was innocent.

"Maybe a few," the Gasman admitted, probably thinking I'd get mad at him. But I surprised us all, even me, by smiling.

"Brilliant," I said, "Make sure you use them all when I say so."

Gazzy and Iggy grinned at me.

* * *

><p>Nudge had been right. Flying over from England had been terrible. We enjoyed the scenery of Ireland for about three minutes before we were passed it, facing the vast ocean. "How are you guys holding up?" I shouted over the high winds when I saw the first bit of land, nearly eight hours later.<p>

"I feel like I could sleep till I'm twenty," the Gasman said, yawning. I knew it would be hard and tiring, on all of us, but it had to be done. I was even feeling exhausted. The awesome Fang had weakness, I would admit it. Oh God, the exhaustion and hunger was getting to my head.

I had handed out a small piece of the food to everyone. Not all of it, because I didn't know how long we were going to be. "I'm alright, but tired," Iggy said. Nudge just nodded, yawning.

"We've got another... three hours, I think," I said, using my built in direction thing that none of us knew anything about. We just always knew where we were going. _**(AN:I've never been to America, so I wouldn't really know the right amount of time it would take them to get to the School, and I'm not sure where all the different states or countries are, so if I get anything wrong, just tell me! im not good at geography :p)**_

In another while, we were flying over New York. "Can we stop and sleep?" Nudge asked, eyeing Central Park hungrily. Iggy and I shared looks. We really couldn't afford to waste much time, but we couldn't really go in and attack everyone in the School if we were half asleep and starving.

"Alright, but only a fast power nap," I said, "We're leaving for California at dawn." I really didn't know how Max did this leader stuff, or Harry. Him and Max are both pretty awesome leaders. But leading just wasn't for me. All the talking, and constant panic that something was going to happen...Not my cup of tea, I'm afraid.

We flew down to Central Park, heading to the place where there were the least lights. "Let's sleep in the trees," Iggy suggested. I nodded, and we found a few large oaks that were close together. While the flock drifted off into sleep, I stayed awake thinking of how we were going to storm the School in the morning...

When the first rays of sun broke the horizon, I went around to the flock, waking them up. Nudge took longer then the others, as usual, and within ten minutes, we were flying away from New York, and towards California. Max and Angel have been gone for a day now. We all knew what they could do to people in a day.

I lost track of how long we were flying for. We flew over heavily populated areas, deserts, building sights, places with nothing but road for miles, and major shopping malls.

Nudge was singing under her voice, something she started doing recently when she got nervous, and Iggy and the Gasman were laughing about the time they broke into Max's bedroom in the old house in Colorado.

"So, Fang, what's the plan?" Nudge asked, finishing the little song she was singing.

"We're going to get in, try to get a whitecoat to blend in more, maybe walk around with other interns, then try to find Max and Angel. When we find them, we get them, get out, and bomb the place. Understood?" I said. The others nodded, not very happy that we need to wear the white lab coats as part of the plan, but tough.

"Is that it?" Nudge suddenly said, pointing. I looked to where she was pointing, and sure enough, there was the big, grey boring building where we were raised. And get this. It was a part of California called Death Valley, over the Badwater Basin. Such a fitting name for Satin's own home.

We flew down onto the ground, a few miles from the School.

"Everyone clear on the plan?" I said, staring unblinkingly at the building.

"Yup," the other three members of the flock said.

"Right. Let's get this show on the road," I said.

"Fang, how are we actually going to get in?" Nudge asked, looking worried.

Oh, crap I knew there was something I left out. "Er..." I said lamely.

"Don't worry, birdies," came a rough, gravelly voice behind us, "We'll help you with that."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Max's POV<strong>_

I woke up in my cage again, feeling sore everywhere. I had passed out in the training room from blood loss. There were ugly scars across my toned stomach, my back, my legs, and even my wings I wouldn't be using them for a while. They had to get me new clothes because my others ones were too ripped up and bloody. Let's just say the Eraser got a bit out of control, and I couldn't even scream because of the cloth in my mouth. I was almost passed out before they realized I was going to die, then they dragged the Eraser away.

I looked beside me , and was glad that Angel was still in her cage, unharmed, but staring at all my scars in horror. "It's alright, Angel," I said, my voice sounding weak and vulnerable. "They look worse then they are."

"Max?" a voice asked from my other side. A voice that made my blood go cold-again.

"Nudge?" I said, turning around too quickly. I hissed in pain, but just forgot about the pain, because I was in a new kind of pain now.

Sitting in cages around the room were Nudge, in the one beside me, Fang, in the one beside her, and Iggy and Gazzy in ones beside each other on the other side of the room. Total the dog was awake now, watching everything with bright black eyes.

I stared at the rest of the flock, feeling completely hopeless now.

We were so screwed.

_**Sorry the ending was kinda bad and rushed, but I really had to finish it fast. Three updates in three days though! Are you all proud of me? Even if this chapter wasn't very good? Or was it good? **_

_**Anyway, thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter, and free cookies and butterbeer for everyone that reviews so...**_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

**_LoVe YoU!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**


	32. The Ending

**_AUTHORS NOTE :P_**

**_Hey everyone! _**

**_I saw the Hunger Games movie yesterday! Two words for you- FREAKING AMAZING! I must admit it didn't live up to my expectations, but it was still really good. Who else saw it? And Josh Hutcherson (did I spell that right?) is just so hot. That is all. _**

**_Now to answer some reviews..._**

**_AnkiaandAj: Thanks. I'm really impatient too. It gets kinda annoying sometimes but that's just who I am. And I will try to update as fast as I can :)_**

**_arb97: Damn... sorry about that. And any other spelling or grammar mistakes I made. Thanks for pointing it out :)_**

**_max artemis potter: I will certainly do that if I ever need to :) thanks _**

**_almp15: you'll just have to wait and see... ;)_**

**_Nico-the-Neko: Japan sounds cool! I'd love to go there someday. But why doesn't Japan have Halloween? I'd love to see some anime movies. I haven't seen any before. Cosplay sounds really fun too!_**

**_florafan199914: I know it was really short, but I didn't really know how long it would take. And none of them have their wands with them. _**

**_And thanks to everyone else that reviewed. Free cookies and butterbeer to you all as you read this chapter. This chapter mightn't be very good because I have serious writers block._**

**_Enjoy!_**

**_-Rach ;)_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Max's POV<em>**

One by one, the flock would be taken out for various tests and experiments. As far as I could tell, there wasn't anything too much done to them. But that didn't stop me fearing that one of the flock were going to sprout antlers or something. Also, no one else was attacked by an Eraser.

I hadn't been taken from my cage since the first time. To be honest, I hadn't really been able to move much since either. All my scars were starting to bruise, and if I moved too much, they would start to bleed again. I was doing my best to hide my injuries from the rest of the flock, but every time I'd wince, Fang was staring at me. Stupid over observant bird kid...

Before Jeb busted us out of the School, Fang used to retreat into himself, as if he was blocking everything that was happening around him out. But that never stopped him from trying to make me laugh, and cheer me up. Now, Fang was sitting up straight, staring straight at the wall, retreating into himself. Last time when he did that, it took weeks for him to start being himself. I hoped that didn't happen again.

The door opened, and three whitecoats came in, carrying the Gasman. He was awake, but looked exhausted, panting and covered in sweat. One of the whitecoats dumped him into his cage roughly, not caring that Gazzy hit his head off the side of the cage. He slammed the cage door closed, glaring around the room.

"Take a picture, it will last longer," I growled. He stared at me, his lip curling. "You keep your mouth shut, missy," he said threateningly. I didn't say anything, I just glared at him, the glare that made most grown men weep. But this guy didn't even do anything. He just stared around at the flock. Something wasn't right about that whitecoat...

After another fleeting look, the three whitecoats walked out, whispering to each other.

"Gazzy, are you okay?" I asked. He nodded, looking completely burnt out. "What did they do?" Iggy asked.

"They...made...me...run...for...hours...without...stopping..." The Gasman chocked out, taking a deep breath after every word.

I felt worried about Iggy the most. I don't think the whitecoats realized that he could see yet, and I hoped they wouldn't. Since Iggy got here, he'd been doing his best to act blind so they wouldn't know, like not looking anyone in the eye when he was talking to them. I just really didn't want him to become blind again.

"Max?" Nudge whispered a while later, sounding terrified. "Yeah?" I said, my voice sounding rough and gravely. "How are we getting out?" she whispered, her eyes big and fearful. "Don't worry, honey, I'll think of something," I said. "In other words, you have no idea what your doing?" Iggy said, grinning for the first time since we left the Hogwarts Express.

"Shut up, Ig," I said, rolling my eyes. "I told you, I'll think of something."

**_You need to think fast, Max_**, the Voice said, _**Before you all die. Which will happen soon.**_

_You think I'm not thinking about getting out?_ I snapped. _You try busting out of a cage, then running out a high-security building!_

I guess the Voice didn't like being talked to like that, because it didn't say anything after that.

For the next few hours, I wracked my brain for something to do. Finally, I figured it out.

"Alright," I whispered so low, that only the flock could hear me, "Next time they come in to take one of us out, the rest of us will all pretend to pass out. The whitecoats will take us out to see what happened, and that's when he go into action. We'll kick and punch, then do whatever we can to leave this hell hole. Understood?" The flock nodded, looking determined.

We were so getting out of here.

Later that day (or maybe it was night. There aren't any windows in here) the only ones still awake were me and Fang.

"Did you bring your wand with you?" I asked. Fang nodded, and a spark of hope ignited inside me. "Why didn't you say anything? We could of used it ages ago! Why didn't you-"

"They took my wand off me. And yours. And they took Iggy's and Nudge's. That's why I didn't say anything," Fang said.

"What did they do with them?" I asked.

"Put them with your and Angel's stuff," was all Fang said.

"Would you be able to get back to the room where they are?" I asked. Fang didn't say anything for a minute, then nodded. "Fine. When we escape, that's where we go. We get our wands and clothes, then get the hell out of here," I said. "Fine with me," Fang said.

A few hours later, our chance came. Four whitecoats walked calmly into the room, each holding clip boards and pens. In their pockets, I saw syringes. I cringed, but kept my focus. I saw Fang looking at me, and I nodded. The other members of the flock were looking at me too, silently asking the question they were thinking. I nodded to them as well. I had filled them in on the plan a while ago.

The first whitecoat came over to my cage first. I was keeping my breathing low and even, and when the whitecoat opened my cage, I sprang forward, legs straight, and kicked him right in the chest. It hurt a lot to move so much, but I sucked it up. He gave a loud "Oof!" and stumbled backwards. I leaped out of my cage, breathing heavily and adrenaline coursing through my veins, dulling the pain in my scars. None of the other flock members were out of their cages yet, so I was on my own for the time being. This had to be it. If I got caught, I was going to die.

There was still three whitecoats in the room, and none of them seemed pretty good at fighting. This was going to be a piece of cake.

I did a roundhouse kick to the whitecoat closest to me, and it hit him in the jaw. I heard the crack of his jaw breaking, and grinned. He feel to the floor, cradling his jaw and whimpering. Weenie.

The next whitecoat wasn't as easy to get down. It seemed this one was kinda trained in martial arts or something. When I went to punch him, he blocked it, grabbed my arm and twisted it around my back. I winced, knowing for sure that he was going to pop my shoulder out of place.

I raised my right leg, making him think I was going to kick him with it, but when he moved to avoid it, I snapped out my left leg. It caught him in the place men shouldn't be kicked, and he went down like a sack of flour. I bent down and pinched him in the neck, knocking him out.

I rubbed my shoulder, grimacing. That whitecoat was pretty strong. But there was still one whitecoat left, then whatever was in the corridors ahead. But I'd have the flock at my side by then. We'd get out. We'd be fine.

The whitecoat that was still left standing looked at me once, squeaked, then ran towards the door. He bolted out, and sprinted down the corridor. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. The people they get here...

I quickly opened all the cages in the room, and in less then two minutes, the flock and Total (Angel refuses to leave him behind) were standing in the room, all of us in the stupid School outfits. "Did you see the look on that guys face?" Gazzy cackled. "Yeah, it was hysterical. Right, so we need to get our things, most importantly, Fang, Iggy and Nudge's wands. So we're all following Fang as soon as we leave this room. No splitting up. If an Eraser or whitecoat shows up, we all stay and fight. If we do somehow get separated, but all escape, we meet back at the old house in Colorado. If one of us gets captured again, we get them out. Understood?" I said in my don't-mess-with-me voice, hands on hips. The flock nodded, and we started towards the door.

Iggy opened the door, looked left and right, then beckoned the rest of us to follow him. Once we were all in the hall, Fang took the lead and broke into a run down the corridor, the rest of us hot on his heels. The entire place seemed deserted. I frowned, trying to ignore the tingling feeling on the back of my neck. "How much further?" Angel asked, keeping good pace with me. "I think it's around the next corner," Fang said.

And he was right. It was around the next corner. Along with a hundred Erasers and whitecoats.

"Crap," Iggy whispered.

"Understatement of the century," I said, my eyes locked on all the whitecoats and Erasers. The whitecoats I wasn't worried about. They were all wimpy scientists that could break like twigs. But the Erasers... I don't know if we even stood a chance.

I turned around, ready to give the order to retreat. Iggy, Fang and Nudge would just need to get new wands. As for our clothes...Our clothes! The pictures of Sirius and my mom were in my jeans pocket! How could I forget! Well, we couldn't retreat now... I want those pictures.

Well, turned out it didn't make a difference that I remembered the pictures. When I turned around, there were about fifty Erasers behind us. A few of them jumped forward and grabbed all of us. I noticed that Iggy wasn't looking at anything particular again. And of course, a whitecoat had to notice too.

"Still blind are you, freak?" he sneered, looking disgusted. I recognized him as being Newbie's father. Iggy didn't answer him, he just stared at his ear. "What, are you deaf too?" the whitecoat snapped, stepping closer to Iggy. "John, take it easy," one of the other whitecoats said. "Shut it, Adams," John growled. He turned back to Iggy, staring him up and down, looking as if their was a massive pile of dung under him.

"How do you even do anything? Even live?" John said, "Do you not feel useless? Like baggage to your flock?" Again, Iggy didn't answer him. I wonder if he did feel that way when he was blind. I really never thought about it before. With all of Iggy's other super senses, it was hard to remember that he was blind. I mean, he was the best cook ever. Besides Mrs Weasley. But maybe Iggy did feel like baggage. Who knew what went through a teenage pyros mind...

I opened my mouth to speak, but the Eraser that was holding me clapped a hairy hand over my mouth. I spluttered from al the hair in my mouth, but he didn't move it.

"Answer me boy!" John shouted. But Iggy was ignoring him, his jaw clenched, staring at the floor. "I said answer me!" John yelled, spit flying from his mouth. Then he raised his hand and slapped Iggy hard across the face. The Eraser holding Iggy was so surprised that his grip lessened, but it was enough for Iggy to fall to the ground.

I cried out his name, but it sounded muffled against the Erasers hand- sorry, I mean paw. Iggy sat up, rubbing his cheek. There was a huge red welt forming on his cheek bone. "I don't feel useless," Iggy said "Because I have great friends that get me through it. I haven't felt like baggage since I left this hell hole! Maybe a while after, but I got over it! So you know what? _Screw you!"_ Iggy sneered, then he jumped up, did a spinning kick, and kicked John right in the face. He feel to the ground, knocked out.

And that's when all hell broke loose. I bit down on the Erasers fingers, and he gave a loud yelp and let go of me. I turned fast, and punched him in the face. He stumbled backwards, and Nudge crept up behind him, after already finishing off her own Erasers, and slapped him over the ears. He feel down screaming, holding his burst ears.

Everywhere I looked, people were fighting. I even saw Erasers fighting Erasers because they had no one else to fight. I got right in the middle, slapping punches and snapping kicks at every hairy thing I could see. Not surprisingly, there wasn't a whitecoat to be seen.

The flock were holding up well, even Angel, who was reading the minds of the Erasers to know their next move, then she'd dodge it and kick them. She had already knocked out more then Nudge or Gazzy put together. I'm telling you, she's cute, but she's creepy.

After doing a butterfly kick (which are super awesome to do, and look cool) on two Erasers, I felt hands go around me. At first, I thought it was someone from the flock, but when I looked down, they were plainly Eraser hands. I tried getting away, but this Eraser was fast and strong. One well muscled hand slipped around my waist, holding me there so tight it was going to bruise, and his other hand went around my neck, slowly chocking me.

I gasped, scrapping at his hand desperately. I wasn't able to breath. I was chocking. I was going to die. This couldn't be happening. I had to get away from him, escape, but I couldn't...

"Well, well, well," the Eraser hissed in my ear, "If it isn't Miss Maximum Ride. Dying." He took a deep breath, and I felt him smelling my hair, inhaling deeply. Okay, this guy is a creep. "And your so beautiful. So gorgeous. And filling out in all the right places." I felt sick to my stomach as the Erasers hand moved around my waist, and my stomach, going higher and higher towards my chest. I couldn't fight him away, I felt too weak. I was gasping and flaying like a fish out of water.

Just before the Erasers roaming hands got too high, I saw Fang running towards us. He punched the Eraser right in the face without the tiniest bit of hesitation, his face a mask of fury. Fang kicked the Eraser again in the ribs, and this time he let me go. I fell into Fang's arms, coughing and retching as the Eraser fell to the ground. "Are you okay?" Fang shouted to be heard over all the other noise.

I nodded, trying to get my breath back. I took this time to look around and check on the flock. Nudge was holding her own against two fully grown Erasers, but her lip was bleeding and there were claw marks on her arm. Iggy was fighting against anything that was around him, and he didn't seem to be injured at all. The Gasman was going one-on-one against an Eraser, but that fight would be over soon, with Gazzy victorious by the way the Eraser was staggering around. And Angel was still using her mind reading trick to make the Erasers seem stupid. Both her and the Gasman had minor cuts and bruises, but nothing major.

"You?" I gasped, looking at Fang. "Fine," he said. I didn't believe him. Fang had a weird pride thing that if he ever got hurt, he'd never tell anyone and try to fix it himself or something stupid like that. So I started feeling his arms, legs, stomach, chest and back. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him. "Fine," I said, after getting my breath back. "Let's blow this joint."

I motioned for the flock to follow me. We kicked and fought our way through all the Erasers, leaving unconscious bodies behind us. The flock would never kill anyone else unless it was absolutely necessary.

"In here!" Fang shouted. We got rid of the last few Erasers, leaving the corridor empty, except for a few unconscious bodies. Fang pushed open a door, and we slipped inside. There wasn't much in the room, but boxes and boxes of medical supplies. So this was their storage room. Interesting...

"Guys, start breathing through your mouths," I said after I saw Fang grabbing two grabs, one with clothes in it, and another with three wands. "We're gonna smash everything in this room." And so we did. We through syringes on the floor, smashing them to bits; we fired test-tubes against the wall; we overturned boxes of bottles with medicine and anesthetic. When we heard more running footsteps outside the door, I looked around the room for a window.

"Come on..." I muttered to myself as I looked around the room. "Come on..." And thats when I saw it. There was a small window in the other wall, just big enough for us to fit through. "Go! Through the window!" I hissed, ushering the flock forward. I ran over to the door, and blocked it with a few huge, heavy boxes we didn't get a chance to destroy. Well, it came in handy in the end. No one could get in the room.

"Out! Now!" I hissed quietly. Angel was first to go. She popped open the window, then slithered out. We were on the third floor, so it's a good thing we have wings. Gazzy passed out Total to Angel, who was hovering outside the window. She was a fairly good flier now, and in a few weeks, she'll be as good as the rest of us. I looked at Total before Angel took him. Somehow, he had escaped the fight without getting hurt the tiniest bit. What he did, I have no idea.

One by one, we all hopped out the window. Just as I was jumping off the window sill, the door burst open and the Eraser that was chocking me was standing in the doorway. I looked at him properly, frowning. He looked like any other Eraser, but there was something about his features under the hair, and his eyes that made me think that I knew him. But it was what I saw behind the Eraser that really made my skin crawl, what really made me what to scream until all the windows were broken.

Behind the Eraser, was someone I thought I would never see again. Someone that haunted most of my dreams- well, nightmares.

It was Donovan. He saw me staring at him, and smiled happily.

He started walking towards me and the Erasers were right behind him, so I took that as my cue to jump off the window.

"See ya, wouldn't want to be ya!" I shouted as I soared through the sky, over to the flock. We all cheered and hugged one another, then started flying away from the hell hole, my mind still on Donovan and the Eraser.

"Hang on!" Iggy shouted, turning around. "Ig, what the hell do you think your doing?" I asked. But Iggy was already flying back towards us, his face serious. "Fly! Fast!" he shouted.

That meant only one thing. Iggy threw a bomb.

The six of us started flying like mad to get away from there. We were at a safe distance when there was the massive _BOOM!_ The whole building erupted in flames. "What if there were other experiments in there?" I asked, staring at the burning building that was falling to the ground.

"There wasn't," Iggy said, "I heard them talking when they were taking us in. We were the only experiments in that building. Apart from the Erasers of course, but who cares about them!"

We cheered again, and started flying away from the nightmare. "How did you guys fly over?" I asked.

"We flew," Fang said. "On a plane?" I asked. "Nope," Nudge said, popping the `p'.

"You flew yourselves? Across the Atlantic? From England? Yourselves? The whole way?" I said, my eyebrows raised. "U-huh," Iggy said.

"And that's how we're getting back, right?"Gazzy said. "If you guys already did it," I said. I turned to Angel. "You think you can do it, sweetie?" I said.

Angel nodded, then looked down at Total. "We're going to have to take turns carrying him," she said. "That's fine," I said, rubbing my forehead. Do I want a dog? No. Do I need a dog? No, I have a perfectly good owl, and Angel has a cat she found in the garden. Why does she want to keep a dog?

"Because he's like us, Max," Angel said reading my mind. "Born as an experiment, no family, no where to go. If we don't take him, then who will?"

"I know, sweetie," I said, "We can keep him." Angel grinned happily at me.

And just like that, we were all together again, the six of us and a dog.

* * *

><p><strong><em>TiMe SkIp...A cOuPlE oF dAyS lAtEr...<em>**

Life at the Burrow was normal once more. Mrs Weasley was so happy to see me and Angel alive and well, that she crying all over us as soon as we walked in the door. But she was so furious at the others for leaving like that, that they were all grounded for two weeks. That didn't really bother them, seeing as as we were flying over America, we had to sleep in trees, eat out of dumpsters, we even slept in a subway tunnel. Not like we haven't done it before. We did it before ages ago with Jeb when we first got out of the School. It took us ages to get to the house in Colorado, so for a few months, the seven of us lived rough. So Fang, Iggy, Nudge and Gazzy didn't really mind that they were grounded. In fact, they were surprised they didn't get something worse.

All the Weasley's were glad that we were all okay. Fred and George picked me up on their shoulders when they saw me, chanting "Maxie is back! Maxie is back! All hail Maxie! All hail Maxie!"

Percy gave us all handshakes. I walked away from him when he came over to me. Git.

Mr Weasley hugged us all, keeping back his tears. Ron hugged us all as well, and told us how scared and worried they all were. Ginny seemed fine hugging and talking to everyone else, but when she approached Fang, she got very shy and awkward. Not the Ginny I've really grown to like and care for like a sister. I wonder what was happening there...

And of course, Ron had to write to Hermione, Harry and...Sirius. Sirius's reply to the one I sent him saying I was home and fine was full of nothing but advice and concern.

_Dear Max,_

_I'm glad you and the flock are alright. Really, I am. And I'm glad Iggy blew the place up. One less thing for me to do. But if Fang had just written to me, and told me what happened, instead of going off himself with the others, then I would of made sure no one but the flock got out of that place alive. To do those things to a child! And what the Eraser did to you (Nudge told me. She's been writing to me as well) is just barbaric. Are you alright? Honestly? Anything you need to tell me, anything at all, just write and let me know. Did you see that one guy? The one that tortured you? What was his name? Daniel? Derek? Oh, you know who I'm talking about. _

_Ron mentioned something about the Quidditch World Cup this summer. Have fun, and be careful! Look out for anyone suspicious. Always be on guard, and always have your wand with you. Keep your friends close, Max, and protect each other. _

_I'll see you soon, write to me if you need to, _

_Sirius. _

Harry and Hermione's were basically the same.

For the first few nights back at the Burrow, I was plagued by nightmares about the School and Donovan. By the look on the flocks faces each morning, so were they. But I don't think any of the Weasley's noticed. Either they didn't, or they just weren't saying anything. I hope it wasn't the latter. You know if that happens, then they will talk about it eventually. Not something I wanted.

Oh, and you know the way that Eraser that tried to kill me kinda looked familiar to me. Well, I found out why.

I was looking through the pictures Sirius sent me, and there was one I didn't really pay attention to before. It was one with Sirius, my mother, and a little boy, around four or five. But as I looked more closely at the little boy, the more he started looking like the Eraser. I imagined him older, taller, and with more hair. The eyes were the same, the features, everything looked the same except for lack of hair and age.

It looked like that Eraser was my brother.

But why hadn't Sirius mentioned him? I had a letter all written out about it, but ended up ripping it and throwing it in the fire. Freedom gave me a dirty look, pecked my shoulder, and flew off to Stygian. Clearly, Sirius thought that little boy, whoever he is, is dead. I shouldn't bring it up over a letter. I'd wait until I saw him again, face to face. Whenever that would be.

But despite the nightmares, the mysterious Eraser, Donovan, and everything else wrong in my life, I still felt strangely happy. The flock were together, safe and healthy, with a loving family that accepted us, and we had amazing friends.

What else could a bird girl ask for?

_**ThE eNd!**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry for the crappy ending to the story, but I couldn't think of anything to write. I'll put up another chapter when the first chapter of year 4 is up. <strong>_

_**So how was the chapter? Was it a good ending? **_

_**Anyway, everyone who reviews gets free cookies, and butterbeer so...#**_

_**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**_

_**And last, but not least, I would like to thank everyone that reviewed, read, and put this story in their favorites. You guys made me believe in myself as a writer, and I am so thankful. I love all of you so much! Your all amazing, and this means the world to me. **_

_**So another story is finished and gone. But never fear, as another story is quick on way!**_

_**And when I say quick, I mean quick. TWO WEEKS OFF FOR EASTER! SO MORE TIME FOR FANFICTION!**_

_**Goodbye, readers. And remember to review, because they mean so much to me. Love you!**_

_**-Rach ;) xxx**_


	33. Authors Note

_**AUTHORS NOTE!**_

_**Hey my faithful readers!**_

_**This is just a quick authors note to tell everyone that the first chapter of Year 4 is now up!**_

_**Enjoy and I love you guys!**_

_**Enjoy the new story! You guys are awesome!**_

_**-Rach ;)**_


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